The Dollmaker
by bananasRkewl
Summary: Rin Kagamine was a doll maker, trusting only Len, whom she babysat. But then she discovered her love for fire. After an accident, Rin was sent to the asylum for two years. Now as a mentally unstable teenager, Rin unravels a supernatural curse that somehow concerns her, a room full of dolls, and the soul of the one she killed...RinxLen, T for blood. Please review!
1. Prologue

**a/n: This has been in my mind for a really long time, and I have finally got the nerves to type it up and post it..Even though the genre is Fantasy/Romance, there's also some bloody parts (Horror...) :3 Heh well thanks for coming, and I'm probably going to add more chapters to this~ ^^ My first non-oneshot, I'm excited! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own vocaloid ;_;**

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Prologue:

_August 17, ?_

The match was bloody in my hands. I let out a sigh, contemplating the flame hovering at the tip of it, a living extension of the dark, red wood that supported it. How lovely it was, how fragile. How dangerous.

I looked around my dark room. Dolls. Shelves and shelves of dolls, lining the windowsills, scattered on the floor, on chairs and pillows. My own creations.

I wasn't crazy, I told myself. But they're watching me, judging me, I swear. The only way to destroy them was fire. The clock said 12:08 am...today was the day he had died.

My hand continued to bleed as I made my decision. The wood dug splinters into my fingers, I was clutching it that tight. My pale figure stood in the centre of my room, my beloved hiding spot, my nest, where my dreams took form. It was the perfect playground for my imagination, the very place I had spent a hundred and one hours making those dolls with him. One hundred and one hours, one hundred and one dolls. My workplace, my home, my nook, my creativity, my all. Was I that willing to burn it all down?

**Yes, if it's to forget him.**

"_You're not doing yourself any good. Make your decision already. Either way, it's still going to kill you._" A pink bunny with one arm, the one I had called Mallow scoffed at me. Why does Mallow always snipe at me? Was it because she lost her arm when I misplaced her in the washing machine by accident?

"_The stuffed one is right._" The countryside flowergirl with orange curls chided. "_Choose carefully. Nobody will disagree with you, for you have no one_."

The clown started weeping.

The Indian princess started tearing at her own hair.

The button eyes from a fairy doll started dripping blood.

The man in the tuxedo snarled.

"_And that little boy you babysat? Remember, **you** cause his death! Do you think you deserve to be happy? He's gone now, and **you** will be too!_"

All the dolls in the room started shrieking in unison. The clown kept crying.

"_All because of your foolish thoughts. You don't even deserve to LIVE._" The Shepard boy joined in.

_ "You inhumane child!" _

_"Stop sobbing, idiot."_

_ "You're a selfish mess!_

_"Monster! Devil!"_

_"You killed him!"_

_"You created us from your heart. To have us turn against you is shameful."_

_ "You killed him..."_

I couldn't take this. The dolls surrounding me made their accusations in the dark, my own thoughts. I had put my heart into making them, but they have never had this much control. My own thoughts, my own feelings, being juggled by the toys around me...I have to move on. I have to destroy those past emotions.

I have to move on from Len.

_That's it_. I threw the match into the darkness, making it land on the clown. It started screaming in pain.

The beautiful orange started spreading like a dancer twirling in a flurry of sparks, like a starry night. The dolls that had hollered at me fell one by one into the flames and smoke. Some had a grin on their faces as they burned. Others screamed like the devil to their death.

I'm not insane. I'm not insane. I'm not insane.

Flames nipped the edges of my white nightdress, charring it black. I danced around my room, laughing, taunting the dolls that were dying from the fire. Tiny slivers of firelight stayed on my dress as I twirled. I felt like I was a dancer on a stage, a stage I had created, with those cursed creations watching me in envy.

The room was so hot, I could've swore my skin started festering. An alarm went off. The shouts of those who did not live within my mind echoed around the house. I guess the fire was finally starting to reach the living...

Instead, as the imaginary blood pooled beneath my feet, I grinned. I looked around at the beautiful scenery, colours of the sun. My past life was disappearing, everything I was made of.

Mallow's head lay black and lifeless in the fire, her plastic eyes showing the strangest kind of fear. It was so human, I felt a shiver of excitement.

_HAHAHAHA!_

But one particular doll caught my eye. It was a young man, with blond hair tied in a short ponytail. He wore a brown overcoat and trousers, with a black fedora hat. He had just one button eye, and a grin stitched into his face. He was the only doll that did not scream at me. It was the detective, the 101th doll, the one doll I haven't yet completed. Before he had died, he had wanted me to make a doll of him, as a sixteen year old detective...

"_...sure, Len. I just don't know why you would want to make yourself older than me...Well, its because I WANT to be a detective when I grow older! Then I can solve mysteries with you, like in those books we read! That doll is me in the future!...Aha, I see! Then I should make a detective Rin doll too! Now, lets get started...Thanks, Rin! I love you!..._"

I chucked the detective out of the window, to get rid of the flashback. Since his death, I never got a chance to finish the doll. He has one eye. The stitching in his arms and legs needed fixing. There was a long gap down his back that I made to put in the stuffing.

The doll did not make a sound as it disappeared through the window. It was the last reminder of him I have ever had, besides the constant grief that weighs my heart down now and then. I found myself leaking again, this time in tears and not blood.

"I'm sorry Len..."

I'm SO going to the asylum after this.

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**a/n: Ah, well, that was a start. :) And that was just the prologue, so I'll have more coming. Thanks! **


	2. A New Start

**a/n: The real story begins :3 enjoy~**

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**Rin's POV:**

"Miss Kagamine, you are summoned by the staff. Please rise."

I woke up with a jolt, still panting. I laid my eyes on the man standing in the doorway of the little white room. He wore a white doctor's uniform with strange contraptions with him. He held straps in one hand, trying to keep them out of sight. His dark, solemn eyes gave me a cold glare. A dozen others that looked like him gathered in the back. I sat up from where I was curled into a tiny ball, rubbing my eyes "innocently".

"Courtesy to your parents, you are now released. Please come with us to receive the message."

I am...free?

My parents finally signed the contract to release me from the asylum.

My parents. Oh how I hated flashbacks. I earned myself my own fate, the thin line between sanity and insanity slowly disappearing each time I held a match...

But did two years in the asylum help it? I mean, I am a sane person overall. I was "normal" before. Before his death, before those dolls, I discovered something else I loved...

Fire.

It said on my records that I was a "_pyromaniac_". What a harsh word to describe it! I'm not a maniac for fire, I simply love it because of its sheer beauty. Those dancing flames, the way it felt on my skin, the way it kills was so quick yet invigorating...I loved it all.

But I know how they feel about me. I know how scared they are, how quick they are to judge. I wish someone would believe that I am still a normal person at heart. I have a family, a hobby, and those who I love and cry for. I'm just...misunderstood.

They judge me just because I love something they don't. Then they put me in this solitary white room to rot out my two years. I didn't mind the loneliness, though. I was lonely before, and all I had was Len. This was no different.

_"Don't think about the past, Rinny. He does not exist."_

Finally I responded, after reflecting the dream I had. Real events that haunt me now and then."Of course."

I smiled, trying to appear friendly, regretted it, and I immediately frowned. They raised their eyebrows at this action causing me to grin again. This is hilarious!

I followed them, stepping out through the doorway. What else was there to do? After so long of being imprisoned in a small white room with one window, I was finally free. The sudden light were blinding, even though the bodies of the doctors were surrounding me. I should be grateful that they didn't use the "straps" before escorting me. But as of right now, I just wanted it to be over.

_"Mom...Dad...what would you think if you guys saw me like this?"_

Has the hallways always been this long, messing up my sense of distance I am covering? Those unnatural, alabaster walls without windows, those tiny lights like streetlamps a thousand miles above, the linoleum floors completely colourless and unscratched surrounded me in pure white. It was hard to believe that people lived within those walls, carrying out their lives like me. There was no sign of anything living, besides the footsteps and my own breathing.

This is not a place to cure insanity. This is a place that causes it.

"R-rin..?"

I looked up with melancholia, right into the eyes of someone I recognized. I was immediately suffocated in darkness as my Mom embraced me, sobbing...

_"Is this how he felt when he died? Drowning in blackness, with sorrow around him?"_

I gasped, pushing my Mom away. I wanted so badly to get rid of that thought from my head.

"Rin..? What's the matter? Don't you remember me?!" My Mom stared at my with huge eyes choked with tears. It was overwhelming after two years without any emotion. I've never ever seen her so scared. So scared of me...

"Yes, mom, I remember you. I missed you..." My voice out steady, surprising me. I opened my arms and smiled, taking in the surroundings of the waiting room.

My mom embraced my again, and I almost felt myself tearing up. I was touched slightly, because who would want to hug an insane person right after they have been released? When was the last time I had hugged someone anyways, not counting the time I was in the asylum?

"I love you, Rin..."

"Me too."

That was all we said to each other. She didn't ask me about my time here, nor have I asked her about home.

Home.

I burned down our home, with all our belongings. How did my parents move on? I suddenly felt like the most selfish person in the world. The dolls were right.

"Rin?"

A new, deeper voice entered. It was my dad, his blue eyes wide in astonishment. He was just as I remembered him, tired and hardworking, yet still has his good looks from his younger years. He repeated my name.

"Yeah. Hi Dad."

Unlike Mom, my dad didn't rush forward to hug me. He looked like he was in disbelief, or confusion.

"Let's get out of here. I've got your papers, so we can go."

I nodded, and I followed my parents out of the asylum and into the parking lot. Finally, my feet walked over something unlike those creepy floors where I was kept.

I was finally free from the small white room, but I never have I felt so trapped.

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**Disclaimer: I don't own vocaloid, just this fic. Reviews are welcome! c:**


	3. Into the Night

**a/n: I'm really glad I could make this update quick! :D I was actually surprised that this would get any attention at all. Thank you to those who have read/reviewed/faved/followed~! I LOVE YOU**

**PS: The text in** _italics_** represent flashbacks, Rin's thoughts, etc. Just wanted to put it out there:D**

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_"Rin...can you tell me a story?"_

_The blond six-year-old leaned against my arm, his beautiful blue eyes begging to be told another tale._

_I shifted in my sleeping bag, the dewy grass underneath us tickling my arms. I smiled affectionately. It was wonderful that Len's parents let me spend the night in their backyard, under the stars. But after all, wasn't I his favourite babysitter?_

_"Of course, Len! But the thing is, I've told you every story I've known. And I've told them all twice." I closed my eyes, trying to think of something, any vague tale I had ever recalled, every fragmented sentence that can be transformed into something new. No success._

_"Rin...!" Len shook my arm gently, innocent excitement building up in his voice. "Why don't you make one up? We can make up a story together!"_

_The twelve-year-old me beamed. "Great idea! Why didn't I think of that earlier? Heh, shows just how smart I am.." I sweat-dropped sheepishly._

_"Well, I think you're very smart. Now come on! Let's make the story!" Len scrambled out of his blue sleeping bag and crawled into mine, adding warmth to the bag. I couldn't help but giggle at his innocence, there's really only one person in the world who would crawl into a sleeping bag with me."What should our story be about?" I inquired, speaking to the face that was almost identical to mine._

_"Dolls!" Len exclaimed without hesitation._

_I smiled and told the story, winging it with Len's help. It was a tale full of loneliness and fantasy, of dreams and love. After almost an hour of storytelling, Len was finally asleep. His blond waves were warm against my lap, his chest moving up and down as he slept. __I sighed, not bothering to move him to his own sleeping bag. It was really late, but the stars remained strong, watching us like frozen fireflies. I hoped that Len would feel safe within their presence, for he was like a brother to me._

_"Goodnight Lenny." I smiled, kissing his forehead. I lay down too, my head on the pillow I shared with him, and was immediately blanketed by slumber. Sighing in my sleep, I was was so thankful that I had this quirky kid to spend my time with. Nobody understood me. Nobody wished to be my friend, or even approached me. Nobody went out of their way to show that they cared..._

_And then there was Len._

_Under a million of shining lights, swaddled in grass and a warm sleeping bag, one dream connected two children._

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**Rin's POV:**

"Wake up, Rin. We're here." My dad's voice shook me from my dream.

Again, I was snapped out of a flashback. How long have I been out? I had fallen asleep in the backseat of the car, for what seemed like five hours.

It was so weird seeing the countryside, and convincing myself that I have once lived there. That sun, those mountains, those things were all things I have once known and loved.

But the place we were at was nothing like that. As I exited the car, I was petrified by the huge mansion looming in front of me, blocking out the afternoon sun. Despite it being summer, the mansion and its surroundings were all gloomy and lifeless. I felt a strange chill.

"We are in the town of Melancholia. Where your great aunt lives. You will be living with her until further notice."

Of course. They don't want me near their new home. "Further notice" meant "for eternity." Everyone would be able to recognize my face if I went to live with my parents, so what better place to send me to than the isolated little town cleverly named Melancholia?

No one even told me I had a rich great aunt. I eyed the mansion up and down, and I have to admit it was impressive. Possibly fifty years old, it still stands up to weather but bends like an aging willow tree. It had to be at least seven stories tall, gleaming red, constructed from rowan wood. The courtyard was lifeless and empty, the fountain no longer running water. Dark windows lined here and there, and the only vegetation were the spiny trees and occasionally black roses. Ivy and thorns called it home, spreading like cracks on ice.

I pushed through the huge iron fence. There was no need for luggage, because all I had in my possession was my white bow and the clothes I was wearing now. At the asylum, I wore a white dress, like the ones hospital patients had. My parents bought me a simple velvet dress that was black, with leggings and matching shoes.

My feet crunched under fallen leaves that haven't been watered properly, and I climbed cautiously up the steps. I noticed my parents weren't following me.

"You're on your own from here, Rin. I'm really sorry that we can't live with you, but your aunt will. Just don't underestimate her for her spitefulness. Now, we must go back, promise you'll take care of yourself? We'll visit." My mom softly said to me.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks mom." I turned to my Dad. "Thanks Dad."

My Dad nodded and forced a smile. I forced one back.

With that, they were gone. I still heard my Mom sobbing in the car, and my Dad speaking to her. I closed my eyes, listening to her, knowing all too well that I was the cause of her grief. She couldn't choose between loving me or fearing me, though Dad seems to go with the latter.

But it's time to do this. It's time to move on.

I grabbed the door ring and knocked. The metal clang echoed loudly, an ancient brass tone that causes the door to vibrate. I waited, holding my breath. An entire minute passed by.

Finally, the door opened.

"We only use that for when the authorities come." A fat, cranky woman who looked about a hundred squinted at me indifferently. "You don't seem like _authority_ to me."

"Erm...u-uh...actually um, ma'am, I'm the girl from the..." I trailed off nervously, not finishing that sentence. "I'm Rin Kagamine, your great niece."

The old lady, who was dressed in an expensive looking fur coat, with feathered glasses and a load of jewelery, stared at me. I realized with shock that the shade of her eyes were identical to mine. "Quite skinny you are. I still can't recall you. Now dear, where did you come from again?"

I gulped. "The...the asylum."

My Great-Aunt's eyes suddenly widened from under her spectacles, before narrowing in a glare. "Of course. Come in, Skinny. Where's your luggage?"

"I don't have luggage..."

"**SPEAK UP**! What did you say?!"

"I don't have luggage." _A little manners would be nice_, I thought, pissed.

"Don't be daft. You don't have any possessions whatsoever? They have to let you have possessions!"

"You are mistaken, ma'am. They confiscate everything you own when you enter. It's a shelter for CRAZY people, after all." I pointed out.

She paused. "ACK! Whatever! Now, are you going to stand there all day?! Come in here!"

I stepped in before she could even think about closing the door on me. Geez, can't she just pipe down for a second? And what's with the sudden nickname of SKINNY?!

The room brightened. Strangely, there were candles everywhere, but the only things lit were the electrical bulbs in working lamps. A huge crystal chandelier above was also unlit.

"I've made some preparations upon your arrival." My Great Aunt somehow appeared right behind me, and I nearly screamed. "Don't think about burning anything down soon. I've kept matches and such away from your reach. Oho! You're fourteen, and yet you still play with fire? And just look at yourself! You're dressed as a little girl, with that drabby dress and a dolly's bow! You dear, are preposterous."

I glared at her.

"Don't give me that look, young lady." She flicked on the overhead lights. "You may not like it, but it's now your home." My Great Aunt placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me through the gloomy halls with paintings everywhere. "This mansion was founded by my Great Grandad, which was your Great-Great-Great Granfather." She boasted. "It is our greatest pride and inheritance. Several generations of the Kagamine family has resided here." My eyes traveled from one painting to the next. "They would be DEVESTATED if you burned it..."

Ugh. I get the point, you don't have to rub it in me.

The old lady didn't seem to notice my expression, instead she turned me around and gestured to the courtyard from where we stood on one of the balconies.

"Welcome to the powerful Kagamine Residence!"

The only thing that stirred were the crows flying away from the trees.

Clapping her hands together, she gave me a proud and shrewd look. "Now, shall I show you to your room?"

Nodding, I followed her in disdain. I looked around the ancient yet elaborate house, full of family drama and possibly murder, all somehow left to an annoying old hag. But it is now where I live.

"_Home sweet home..._" I thought dryly.

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"Must...not...rip...sheets..."

It was 2:39 in the morning, and I still cannot sleep. Mostly it's because of the sudden change of my life, after two years of complete silence and colourlessness. The noises from the outside world were killing me, and the light from the window as well. I couldn't even tolerate moonlight.

Also, whenever I felt sleep upon me I would drift into another flashback. Before long, I couldn't even close an eye without thinking about fire, dolls, or Len...

Funny how topics like my Great Aunt and yesterday's dinner didn't enter my mind. No matter how much I tried focusing on them, Len's terrified face would always find its way through, surrounded by flames.

"That's it." I stood up from the fancy bed in the room, kicking the goddamn sheets off of the bed. Then I started pacing in darkness, making the hardwood floors creak softly. I reached over to the dresser to retrieve my bow, tying it perfectly on top of my head. My white accessory and my matching nightgown made me look like a ghost in the spacious room.

My room was pretty big, with mahogany walls and a large bed princesses had probably slept in. There was a carpet in the middle of the room, and a small desk on the other side. Beside the desk was a tiny wardrobe, empty of clothing. The elaborate dresser stood next to the bed, containing nothing but mothballs, dust, receipts, and a few boring romance novels. A balcony stood with silken curtains, allowing a view of the courtyard, Melancholia and beyond.

I stood out in the balcony for awhile, taking in the refreshing breeze. My hair and dress moved slowly in the wind, lit by moonlight. It was warm, and the town seemed so peaceful in the night. Huge bodies of trees defined the forest, spreading out around Melancholia like a black sea. My hands grasped the pearly railing as I watched the moon above. The night seemed so welcoming...

"Why don't I go exploring?"

_"Exploring during the night was only for crazy people"_, I told myself. But it was better than spending another second in this torture chamber.

Obviously, I can't sneak out without wearing some sort of cover. White bow, white dress, pale skin and eyes...yup, I'll definitely be spotted.

I rummaged through the small wardrobe, finding absolutely nothing. I tiptoed down the stairs, approaching the doorway to find something wearable. On the rack of coats, buried beneath my Great Aunt's extravagant robes, was a grey cloak that reached my knees. Perfect.

But slipping it on, I wondered why my Aunt would wear a cloak as "drabby" as this. However, I don't intend to find out since I had my own secrets.

The door would be too noisy, and I was also feeling daring tonight. So I climbed the stairs to my room, and decided to exit from the balcony. It wasn't too bad, being on the 4th floor, since this was a seven story mansion. I made my mind up to go barefoot, since it would be quieter that way.

Tying the sheets together, I secured them to the railing. The wind against my sweaty skin encouraged me to work, though I have decided to make it reach to the second floor window. Honestly, I think I can survive a one story drop, since I've been through worse...

Finally, I was finished. I took a few breaths and slid down the rope of sheets, letting go once I reached the end. I dropped a little too quickly though, hitting the ground with a resounding THUD!

"I'll have to work on that landing," I thought, pulling up my hood. I hesitated, listening for noises, and then I was off.

First, I snuck around the courtyard. Though there wasn't much to look at, I found numerous amounts of strange symbols and the Kagamine coat-of-arms carved into the fountain, cobblestone paths, on hanging pots and stone archways. I also searched the back to find a hidden trap door leading to the pantry. Perfect for a nighttime raid!

But after thirty minutes of exploring the courtyard, I instantly became bored. I wasn't a very observant person, but I had a knack for memorizing directions and landmarks. So after this half hour I had the entire courtyard covered, plus the garden and the gazebo. I knew each path and every possible entrance, including the trapdoor. I never knew the the Kagamine Residence could be so large...yet so small.

I rested in the small gazebo, where marriages would've once took place. I was fingering a black rose, one of the only living flowers that grew here. It had a ominous beauty about it, like watching a person who had died passively. They look so beautiful, in a peaceful and dark way. That was how the flower looked. I wasn't careful with the thorns though, so immediately my hands were bloody.

"Stop it, Rin." I scolded. I wiped the blood onto my cloak and the bench. I put the rose in my cloak pocket for safekeeping, heading off to wash my hands.

Except that when I crossed the garden to fetch the hose, I dashed right pass the gate to the outside world. I paused, a sudden desire taking over me. What if...what if I go explore OUTSIDE the mansion?

I stared down at my palms, pale and bloody. They can wait, I concluded.

With a creak that sounded like a whiny baby, I pushed the gate door open. My bare feet padded soundlessly across the fallen leaves, gloomy darkness shrouding me as I made my way down the road. The thick trees stood alongside of me, their shadows welcoming. After about ten more minutes of walking, I came to the town of Melancholia, asleep as the evergreens that protected it.

Pulling the front of my clock closer together, I crossed the wooden bridge, the reeds tickling my naked legs. My feet felt stone, as I entered the streets of the village.

The large but simple houses here packed together, like oversized yaks during a blizzard. Cats and mice scuttled through alleyways, while domesticated dogs slept outside their owner's porches. The town felt very medieval, with old fashioned shops and even a blacksmith. There was also a barber shop, grocery store, a library, an inn, and a few other simple services. Above the houses I could see the mansion looming in the distance, in full view on the hill.

Again, there wasn't really much to see. But as soon as you enter the town, a light sadness or pity sweeps over you. Like remorse, for someone you had loved or a hobby you once pursued. In this case, I thought about my old life, the old people I had known...Which was why I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

I continued further from the mansion, eventually leaving the melancholic town of Melancholia. Now, it was time to explore the forest. My sleek figure was just crossing the railroad behind the town, when I spotted a familiar object lying in the middle of the train tracks. My eyes widened.

Was that a...

I picked it up, trembling. It was a lighter, unused and still fresh. I started to pant.

_"No, don't do it...don't cause all this to happen again..."_ My conscience tried to grab the part of my brain that wasn't overcome by desire. But rest of it thought...

**_"Flicktheknobflicktheknobflicktheknobflicktheknobf licktheknob!"_**

It was terrifying watching my conscience, insanity, and consciousness fight each other. Sweat rolled down my face, and I flicked off the casing. All I had to do was to flip the knob...

_"Flickitflickitflickitflickitquickquickquick!"_

_"NO Rin! Don't do it, I believe in you! Do you want to go back to the asylum for good?! Put it down and walk away! Just stop and think about it for a second...is this what you really want?_

**_"Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!"_**

Tears rolled down my eyes. "Please stop! Please..."

A deafening whistle suddenly shut off all my thoughts, painful lights rushing towards me. A monstrous head charged for my face.

The morning train sped towards my frail body, and no mercy was spared.

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**a/n: YAY cliffhanger xD *get's shot*. I'll stop it there, because first day of school is tomorrow for me.. D: I'll find some time to update, for sure~! Thank you mirrorsound for being the only reviewer so far, hehheh... :3 And thanks to everyone else for reading/following and stuff! xoxo**


	4. Rescue

_I still remember the day when Len died._

_I had taken him to the park, mostly because I wanted to survey the flowers, finding out which ones I wanted to plant. I adored flowers, I loved them for their individual personalities. I loved how each had a particular scent, unique features, and may share characteristics with other flowers but still remain individual. They're like people, in a way._

_I guess I wasn't paying attention to Len when he wandered onto the highway. There was a little "island" that rests in the centre of the wide road, dividing it into two routes. On the "island" was a patch of dandelions, which was why he was going there I guess._

_All it took was a scream to send me off like cheetah I was, dashing to the highway where little Len stood frozen and pale from the truck heading towards him-_

_"**STOP!**"_

_A beep was heard, so loud that it rattled my eardrums. My vision was blurred with tears and I screamed so hard that my voice cracked. I was dizzy but alert with the adrenaline, as I bolted towards him. I have to reach him before the truck does..._

_Before it hits him. Before he..._

_Everything was going so fast, as if I was diving full speed down a whirlpool. I reached outward, arms stretched to their full potential. Anticipation of pain kept me going, the deadly race of the truck and I was the number one priority in my head. There was a sound like breaking glass and tires screeching, equivalent to a sky full of eagles._

_Then, CRACK! Every bone in my body bursted as my arms encircled him._

_Len and I were flung to the other side of the road, and he was nothing more than a tiny weeping bundle shivering in my arms. I lay on my side, liquid all around us. Shouts and sirens rang from so many directions that I gave up and just held him. When I had screamed at the collision, Len kept silent._

_"Rin...I'm so sorry.." He started to look up._

_"No!" I desperately covered his eyes. "Len, don't look, please. Just go to sleep, please. It's okay, Lenny. It's okay..."_

_"It hurts..it really hurts..."_

_"I-I know it does. But just hang in there, please, I'm here. I won't let them take you without going through me."_

_"R-rin...is it true that you see your life pass by just before you die?"_

_I couldn't answer. Although it was embarrassing, I forced him into my chest so he doesn't see my bloodied face. He was still in shock, panting as a thick line of blood ran down his forehead. I pressed my face into his beautiful hair, softly singing a song to him. "Hush now, it'll all be over. Just sleep..._

_I love you."_

_In a pool of blood, in the middle of a haltered highway, one song connected two children._

_"Don't leave me, Rin..."_

_His breathing ceased, and the tears dried on his face. His eyes, which were closed the entire time, released their stressed lines as he drifted into a reluctant slumber. I couldn't move my body, I just waited for the pain to stop. It was getting harder to see..._

_Please don't die. Please don't let him die..._

_It was as if the world was suddenly underwater, suspended in a pool of blood. Two men from the hospital came beside me, yelling for the others._

_"Miss, hang in there! We've got you."_

_I felt myself suddenly lifted up, and the voices filled with urgency._

_"Is the boy alive? Check the boy! He's not breathing..!" The rescuers talked to one another in loud voices._

_My eyes shot open. I raised my head, staring at each of them in the eyes. I put a finger to my lips, and said in a stern, clear voice:_

_"Shh...he's asleep."_

_Then I was out._

* * *

"History repeats itself."

I said that out loud, as the details of my life were laid out in front of my like a sped-up slideshow. I relived every moment of my life, whether treasured or torturous.

"I'm sorry Len."

My life passed before my eyes, just as I was about to die. Len was right.

"I'm so sorry..."

I didn't bother screaming as the train came at me. Then,

Crack! Every bone in my body bursted...

_No._

Instead, my world turned upside-down as a figure made from shadows caught me just as the train sped past. I even smelled the iron rust from the head before the wind was knocked out of me.

Why didn't I die? I wanted to die.

Audible crunching noises were heard as the train continued without noticing me. Arms held tightly around my body, my hair flew around my face as I landed on the ground. I lay there, more shocked from the near-death experience than the actually threat of death. My face was buried in the figure's chest. It smelled like...roses?

"Are you OK?" My rescuer's voice was deep, had a pleasant melody to it. Immediately I felt reassured, even though I was shivering.

Did I know this person?

"Hey, it's alright. You just have to be more careful next time." His voice lifted a bit, trying to get me to look at him. I was still clutching the lighter, and so my bloody hands slipped it into my pocket. That was the worst decision in the world, but I was desperate. I was surprised that I didn't cry, with my heart beating so fast. I nodded, hyperventilating.

"Take a few breaths, OK? Calm down."

And so I did. I never left his arms, because I was afraid the stranger would recognize me as the girl who was shouldn't have been released from the asylum. Also, I felt so safe in them that it was scary. Who is he?

His hand grasped mine.

"I'm Len."

_Len._

I jerked my head up, my nose inches from his. It was him, except that he was so tall...

However, blood covered his face, in dreadful splatters and cascading rivers. One eye was gouged out, and I could see the bloody hole were it should have been.

Worst of all, he was smiling the smile I remembered so well. This creature...

A scream caught in my throat. However, it never went through. Just like my sanity.

My voice disappeared from me, as well as my consciousness.

* * *

_That bloody face. The eye that bore so much of a resemblance to his. His smile, as if he was experiencing true happiness when I looked at him. The pure, golden hair that perfectly framed the gory mess._

_I'm crazy. I'm crazy._

_One day...heck, not even a full night, and I'm already going mental. They shouldn't have released me. I would rather become insane and die from isolation than from m__y own guilt _killing me for revenge. A wall of shame and distress, that cuts me off from the outside world.

_I killed him. I killed him. That fire was my fault, from my hands, formed from my mind._

_I don't deserve to live. I didn't deserve all those precious moments with that pure soul. And he didn't deserve to die in my place._

_But I will never regret meeting him. I would much rather hurt than feel absolutely nothing at all._

_Nothing. Was this how he felt when he died?_

_The clown doll started weeping..._

* * *

My eyes flew open.

The first feeling that entered my heart when I woke up was remorse. How I wished that I was hit by the train instead of seeing his face. But instead of leaving me there to have my insides blown out from my body, he saved me, and the feeling of guilt was crushing my heart.

The first thing I sensed on my skin were the tears and sweat I had processed while sleeping. But as the feeling returned to my body, I noticed that I was wrapped in something warm.

But the first thing I HEARD was the weeping. I panicked when the rest of my hearing came back to me, verifying that the sound was less than ten feet away.

As I turned my head stiffly, the first thing I saw was Len.

He was sitting not too far from me, legs pulled up. Tears slid down his face as he stared into the distance, and he was murmuring. To my surprise, all the blood was gone from his face, exposing flawless skin. The eye that was gouged out now had a clean bandage around it, wrapped around his head. He was so tall, he could be at least sixteen. Len looked like a normal, living person, as he hugged his legs. His attire was strange, wearing a white shirt with a yellow tie. His trousers were brown, and on his head was a...fedora hat?

Wait, what?!

I grasped the rose-scented coat, feeling the fabric of it. The one he had wore when he rescued me, the one he laid on top of me, the one I made...

It hit me. Len was the Detective.

The Detective doll I made, the one I chucked out the window when I burned the dolls. It survived? And now it's living...

**As a sixteen-year old Len?!**

"No..." I said out loud. That was a mistake.

Immediately, Len's head turned, eyes meeting mine. I now saw that he was holding the black rose that had been in my cloak before. Then he vanished, taking the rose with him.

I gasped. Flipping my body, I threw his brown coat off, getting to my legs. Where was my cloak? My rose had been in that pocket...

Where was I anyways? I looked around, and finally noticed that I was in some sort of...circular tower room. It was round, with cobblestones making its walls and floor, relating to a dungeon. Except that it had no corners, and that it had tall windows with moonlight streaming in. Judging from the light coming from the outside, I've only been out for an hour.

There were only two things in the room: A spiraling staircase going up, and a bolted trapdoor going down. I tried to pick the lock for the trapdoor, but with no success I gave up. I didn't really want to know what was down there anyways.

But as I looked towards the stone staircase, something caught my eye: A single black rose petal, on the third step or so.

_"That must be where the Detective is heading." _I started to follow, checking myself for any other missing items. Fortunately, my bow remained, and my dress, and my cloak was gone. I took the coat he had laid on top of me, noticing it had two tails at the back. Tucking it under my arm, I clambered up the staircase, not knowing what I was getting myself into.

_"Let's just hope this is all a nightmare."_

* * *

**a/n: Sorry that took a bit longer...DX School can be a pain in the butt, I'm sure you all know. Anyways, so Len has been revived in the body of the one surviving doll Rin has created, as a supernatural being. What happens next? :D I know it was really weird that I revealed his death so early in the story, but it contributed how Rin had "history repeat" to her, as she was reminded of that in her near-death experience. You might wonder why Rin is so guilty for killing him, when it is obviously not her fault, but I'll save that for another time.. ;D There is another story behind it...**

**DISCLAIMER: VOCALOID BELONGS TO ME (NOT)**


	5. Hide and Seek

**a/n: YES I finally get to write more about Len~ I just wanted to put more happy stuff in here. Please enjoy this chapter because I put lots of time in it, but it's fine if you don't... :3**

* * *

There was no sound in the Tower, just my muffled steps sprinting up stair after stair, synchronizing with my heartbeat. The steps keep unraveling as I continue up, showing themselves to me for one small second before they vanish back into darkness as I proceed on. It was like one crazy wheel, and I was running along it, keeping it moving till the day I die.

"Go back down. You don't know what's up there..." I spoke to myself, but I already knew I was not turning back. Sometimes you know the right decision, but you just don't bother to listen to your conscience. Unless you're me, of course. I just have no idea which part of my brain to trust.

It was getting unbelievably chilly in here, as I traveled further up. If you asked me whether it was a nighttime wind or a supernatural sort of chilly, I would say both.

I paused, filling myself with oxygen. How long have I been running? And why was it so cold in here, in such a short period of time?

Without thinking, I pulled the coat over my shoulders, holding it together at the point where the collars meet. It provided minimal warmth, but it was better than nothing. And I've experienced "nothing" before, in the little white room...

My feet nearly rejoiced as I climbed the last step, ending off at a long hallway. Besides the moonlight streaming from the twelve foot tall windows, casting demonic shadows on the ground, it was completely dark.

But then I saw the sun.

Except it just LOOKED like a sun after running in darkness for too long. In reality, it was really just a lantern placed in the centre of the ground, which was covered graciously in a velvet rug.

I picked it up, peering inside the lamp to see what was causing its soft golden colour. I was surprised, but also intrigued when I discovered that a dozen silhouetted fireflies were inhabiting the lantern. No wonder why the light looked so strange, because instead of a flame there were wandering insects instead.

"Now, where to next?"

With the puny lamp grasped in my small, still bloody fingers, I let the lights of nature illuminate the path. Within a short time of listening to my footsteps echo from all around me, I discovered another rose petal in the hall.

Something stirred from above.

Instantly, my head snapped up, holding the lantern in front of me for protection. Darkness greeted me, freezing me in place for something lurking in the shadows. A scuttling sound was heard right behind me, causing me to gasp, no more than a forced breath. Shortly afterward, a creaking sound was heard from up above, inviting me to look in that direction. What I saw was a pair of blue eyes staring at me from the rafters.

My hand flew to my mouth.

"You're not very good at this game, are you?" He purred, blinking.

"W-w-w-what do you mean..?" It wasn't a very impressive thing to say, but it was all I could manage.

The eyes closed as the figure giggled, disappearing once again.

"It's a little something called 'Hide and Seek'. I'm sure you've played before..." The scuttling sound was back, but I couldn't pinpoint the exact location. In fact, it seemed to be coming from everywhere.

The Detective manifested in front of me, smiling innocently. He leaned towards my paralyzed body, his face so close that I could feel his breath. Surprisingly, it was warm. He reached out a gloved hand towards me...

...and tapped me on the shoulder. "You're It."

A sudden gale filled the room, disintegrating as quickly as it came. Then he was gone, taken along with it, leaving me the only soul in the area.

I guess I better find him.

Without another moment's hesitation, I bolted through the hall, a single light guiding my way. At the end, there was a door constructed from oak, standing out from the stone.

As I opened it, a series of staircases, hallways, doors, and windows greeted me. The ground was laden with the same red velvet carpet, with the ceiling at least a hundred feet above me. It was like a stone maze, a labyrinth of firefly lanterns, dark doorways, and suits of armor. I stood flabbergasted, before taking a big breath and ran towards the foyer.

For the next hour, I raced around an unknown mansion (or even a castle, maybe?), throwing open the doors as I ran past them. The rooms contained no furniture, just dust and cobwebs. Lanterns like my own flew past me, bringing the gift of light.

And several times, I saw him. Pristine eyes looking at me from below the floorboards, gliding past at an unmeasurable speed, playing with my hair as he followed behind me. Once I caught him watching me from outside a window, and also giggling as he hang upside down on the rafters. He'd tease me as I looked about carelessly, grabbing my legs or causing my bow to fly off of my head. And that smell! Whenever he was around, I always felt like I had entered a rose garden. Len would always disappear just before I have a chance to yell out his name or touch him.

"Hey, over here!"

Somehow getting myself into the parlour, I saw him at the doorway, legs crossed in the air. He retreated to the ground, sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Get back here!" I ran after him, slamming the door behind me.

"You have to catch me first!"

Childish laughter filled the halls as we ran through them, making me grin. Before long, I was laughing as well. We were two children playing tag in an abandoned building, but neither of us were normal...

Len turned his head, a youthful smile taking up half of his face. He winked at me, and flicked his head back. His hair, which was in a small ponytail at the back, was moving at a speed of its own.

I was getting closer. The stairs whisked past us, and I took them two at a time to catch up to him. Now where did I leave my lamp?

Finally, I was close enough to reach out and grab him. Then I'll win his stupid game and he'll maybe give me some information.

"**Gotcha!**"

"**KYAAA~!**"

The second I grabbed the back of his tie, he screamed, almost playful, and then the world tumbled. I fell into his back, and he fell forward, arms flying to find something to grab.

Then he vanished into thin air, and I felt my cheek hit solid wood.

"**KA-BLAM!**"

Crap.

I felt really retarded, lying there with my face against yet another door. I finally gathered my dignity and stood up, rubbing my cheek.

"_Oh come on._" He was gone again, just when I got him!

I glared at the door, but then it came to me. Right after slamming my head into his back, I fell onto the door. And that was also the exact same time he had vanished. That must have meant that he had fallen THROUGH the door, onto the other side! While I had smashed against it...

I turned the knob, but it was locked. There was a keyhole there, which means there was a key. Darn it, Len. Being able to phase through solid objects must have its perks.

I began searching the area, but with no avail, found nothing. I was frustrated, and I leaned against it scornfully, trusting my hands into the pockets into Len's coat. And then I felt it.

"_Of course!_" I pulled the silver key out from the right pocket, feeling stupid. I surveyed the key, and found that the top was shaped as a button. As I stuck the key into the lock and turned it, nothing could have prepared me for the sight I was facing-

Dolls.

Hundreds and hundreds of dolls.

Even worse, they were the ones I had created, the ones I had burned. They were all here.

Up on the shelves, piled on the stone ground. The dolls hang from the ceiling, on the window sill, in huge heaps. They weren't just the ones I made. Dozens more that I don't even recognize filled the room.

After an hour of feeling like a normal person, They were watching me again.

"No..."

Mallow was propped up on the wall, watching me expressionlessly with her button eyes. There was absolutely no evidence of her ever being harmed, and her arm was back. When I blinked, Mallow smiled at me.

They were all there. They are all going to kill me.

I'm crazy. I'm crazy.

I was kneeling on the ground, hands gripping the ground so hard that my veins could've popped. Unnatural trembles shook my body so hard, that I couldn't tell if if there was an earthquake in here or not.

"You're back. You've all came back. I can't get rid of you, **I can't run...**"

In my position on the floor, I waited for them to kill me. At least I got this chance to play with him before I die. At least I can now have something to hold onto, before they destroy me with the most painful death possible.

But they were silent.

This wasn't right. I looked up fearfully, but no sound came out. Not a single threat, judgment, attack, or reaction. The dolls were just simply...dolls.

They weren't trying to kill me? Why aren't they taking revenge...?

When they had inhabited my room, they talked all the time. They even talked when I was still in the process making them, tinny whispers to whole speeches of dreams they wanted to have in the future. Which kid they wanted to be with. Which place they wanted to spend their days. They are just like people, and I can understand them. And like people, they can drive each other into madness.

But why aren't they doing that now?

"They can't hurt you, Rin. Since I brought them back from the Maker, they listen to me. They're my friends, and I'm their guide."

Len's meek voice was loud in the room's acoustics, ricocheting off the walls until it met me. From the right end of the room, the Detective stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out of the window. He turned and smoothly crossed the room to reach me, offering his hand for support. I took it.

"I don't understand..." I stood shivering in the freezing room. I pulled the coat over myself, wishing I had something to cover my bare legs.

"Dolls have souls, you know." Len answered a matter-of-factually. "Their souls come from the living, who had died in the past. If the dolls 'die', their souls go to the Maker. I took them from the Maker, so that they can relive their lives for awhile." He saw my condition, so his expression changed in concern. "I told them not to hurt you. I don't know why they would want to hurt you, we created them, remember?"

I do. But my stupid mouth only managed a... "I burned them. I killed them, by setting them on fire."

"...Oh. That changes things, then. But I promise they won't harm you. They will listen to me, or the Maker. Also, the dolls are like manifestations of your heart. Whatever you have felt when you were making them would reflect in their personalities." Len strode back to the window, a thoughtful look on his face.

I was silent. It was true, how their attitudes depended on the ones I had given them, sometimes not intentionally. So the person who should understand them the most was...me. I understood why they wanted to kill me.

I took off the coat, a bit reluctantly, tiptoeing up to him. "Here, you can have this back. I borrowed it..."

He smiled, shaking his head gently. "Oh no, you can wear it. I'm sorry you're cold."

"It's ok. It's not like you can do anything about it..."

"Actually, I can..."

With that, Len took both of my hands, blowing into them. A warm gale flooded the room, sending everything into a peaceful motion. The coziness of it was so nostalgic, small tears appeared to my eyes. The room was bathed into a tawny but still brilliant light, like the soft effects of a sepia photo. Goosebumps appeared all on every inch of my body, as the warmness took over it. As I opened my eyes, I discovered that my hands were healed- not only treated from the bloody cuts, but returned to its original state: White, soft, and sleek.

"...It takes a lot out of me, though."

I looked up to him, the light still surrounding us. "How did you-"

He held a finger up to my lips, shutting me up. "Magic." He chuckled at my confused look. "It's just something I had learned to do, while I was away..."

Dead, he meant.

"I'm just really glad I can come back to see you, after all you've done for me. I didn't want to go, but some things in life...or death...are just beyond your control."

Don't cry, not now. I blinked back my tears, as I have done so many times before. "Len...how can I trust that you are the same six year old I had loved? How do I know you're not an...imposter?" The word stung, but I forced myself to say it.

Len looked offended, causing my heart to ache. It wasn't my intention to hurt him.

"I'm sorry. I should've known you wouldn't trust me in this form. It's my fault." I wanted to comfort him, but I also wanted him to continue. "It's hard. Death, I mean. I'm just happy that you didn't get a chance to experience it."

I didn't want you to go. I could've held onto you, if my sanity wasn't between us.

"I still remember everything, Rinny. I remember every hour, every second I had spent with you. The banana bread cookies. The rose garden. The neighbour's hose, remember how you ended up with a mouthful of dirt? Also, I remember each tickle fight we had, each flower we picked for each other, each song and story you had told me. I know the origins to all the dolls I had helped you make. Like the sad clown, you made him after that McDonald's guy was kicked from his job. When you had saw him running away from the store, sobbing, you wanted to make a doll to remind you of that feeling of sorrow, right? Remember the time when your dad had almost hit you, or when your cat Cinna died? And when I lost my favourite stuffed elephant, and when I ran away from home? We sat in the shed together, Rin, crying about those things. I also remember that day...the day with the blood, the pain, the tears. The hospital room never left my head, the feeling of Death lingering around me whenever I think of living. I care about you, Rin. I didn't want you to leave me..." His eyes were wet as he gazed at me, as if he was begging me to bring him back to life.

When did anyone care about me? Who even bothered? There was nobody there for me, just him. And only him.

"I still remember the sang you sang to me, before I fell asleep. I never forgot it."

"Tell me." Nobody knew about this except for him, and if he could answer it correctly, it would be proof that he was alive.

"It was...

**Once upon a December**."

My heart skipped a beat.

It took that one sentence for me to launch myself into his arms. I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but I was only human, right?

"**LEN!**" I buried my head into his chest, arms locking around his waist. I had knocked him to the ground, but I didn't care about being polite or dignified at the moment.

His eyes widened at the embrace, but his arms eventually settled around my shoulders. Len buried his head into my hair, just like how I did to him two years ago. Hugging him now was so different, but still the same nonetheless.

"I missed you..." He whispered.

I didn't even care about the dolls watching me, I just let my tears slide down my face. Inhaling his scent, I remembered how much I missed it...

"_...you smell sort of like grass and bananas, but with a touch of cinnamon. Also, you smell like my cat! That's probably why you reek of grass. But it's alright, because your scent is unique!..._"

I didn't know how much time went by, but my arms stayed around him as he struggled to keep up his half-sitting position on the ground. But I could tell he was just as happy as I am.

Finally, I sat up as well, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry." He gave me a genuine smile, helping me up once again. "You are only human, am I right?"

I nodded, giving a light laugh. I gave his hair a ruffle, messing it up.

"Yeah. We are all the same people, under God's sky."

"Under God's sky..." He agreed.

Grabbing my hand, Len dashed out the door. There was no disappearing this time.

"Come on! We have an hour left until light, and I want to show you my castle. Let's go do something fun while time lasts, because I won't last long here on Earth. I have until the anniversary of my death." His eyes took on a gloomy look, eyebrows bunching up at the tips in remorse. "I came back to this world to tell you goodbye, but I'm afraid...that'll go by way to fast. I want to make this memorable, before the day comes."

After a few turns of running behind him, I quickened my pace so I can run alongside of him. "I'm sure we will. Just remember that you have me. We'll make this memorable, together!"

The day he died...August 14...was a month away.

His hand tightened. "Yeah...I know we can do it!..We'll just help each other!"

"Yeah!"

In an abandoned castle, one mission connected two former children.

"Rin?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry for scaring you, earlier. I just...I didn't want to look that way, I was...in a fight. But I healed myself, so it's all ok now."

A fight? "Hey, it's fine. I wasn't myself that time. I'm just glad you're alright." I gave a cheeky smile, hoping that would help.

To my relief, he returned the cheeky smile, as we approached the balcony.

I was anxious to get a breath of fresh air after running around in the castle, and also the experience inside the doll room. I stood at the balcony, the one like my own, observing the sight that lay before me. This was how I got here in the first place, right? By looking out of a balcony.

Len soon joined me as well, staring at the moon that was still going strong in the early morning. The stars were still prominent, the constellations all laid out, with dawn rising in the distance. It was an amazing sight, the precious moment that starts the day, which disappears after thirty seconds.

"Hey, look...**The Northern Crown**." He gestured to the sky, and I followed his finger.

"_**Corona Borealis**_," I added. "You're right! I can't believe you still remember that.."

"Heh. I had so much trouble looking for it when you first showed it to me."

"It's really easy though. You just have to look for...what's the name of that star? Alpha? Urgh, my memory..."

"_**Alphecca?**_"

"YES! You really do remember..."

"That what I was trying to prove to you...!"

**The Northern Crown** was a fairly small constellation, surrounded by the famous** Hercules**. That's why I showed him that one first, because it's the small things that make a difference. The Crown was supposed to be the crown of Ariadne, which she wore when she married Dionysus.

"Can you find **Draco**?"

"Hmm..." Len put on his concentrating face, narrowing his eyes up to the sky. "There? I think that square thing is the head..."

I searched the sky, and found the square thing he was talking about. "Yep! Good job."

For about ten seconds, we just stood there and looked at the sky. It was comforting knowing that the constellations were the exact same ones I had introduced to him years ago.

"Rin, do you want to see the Castle?"

It hit me that I didn't actually know WHERE I was, because I was at the railroad before I had passed out. I didn't know anything about the Castle, what it looked like from the outside, or the history behind it.

"Yeah, sure."

I nearly had a heart attack when he suddenly scooped me into his arms, levitating up into the air, higher and higher.

"Oh God..." We continued going up, my stomach turning when I looked down. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"You scared?"

"NO." But I kept my eyes closed, anyways. I heard him chuckle at my response. I wondered how high we were, but instead I focused on the wind in my hair and clothes, and the birds in the distance. I bet I was killing him with my fingers clawing into his neck, but he didn't breathe a word about it.

"OK, open your eyes now."

The last thing I wanted to do was to open my eyes. But I did, and the sight took my breath away...

Underneath our feet, a canvas was laid out. We were really high up, not enough to stroke the clouds but to swat at the birds. The forest itself was a huge sleeping beast, fingers tapering at the base of the mountains. I could see the dark houses of Melancholia way down below, like a cluster of blackberries. My Great Aunt's mansion lay on the hill, to the far west. Even though it was a colossal building on foot, up here it was no more than an overturned box.

The Castle itself was a different story. Standing above the trees, yet still protected by them, the Castle had an atmosphere like an old man in deep thought. Black and grey stone shone brighter than crystal, in the morning light. It was an old and ancient thing, with four main towers and a courtyard open to the sky. Unlike the one back at the mansion, it was filled with flowers and botany, with a stone walkway. I could see butterflies and bees busy pollinating the plants, even from up here. The Castle looked medieval, though it didn't have a moat or drawbridge. Instead, two huge French doors were used, giving it a Victorian feel. A black iron fence ran around the building and the gardens, protecting things outside from going in...or to keep things inside from coming **out**...

Everything was bathed in a stunning red colour, from the sun sitting between two mountains. I watched it as it slowly moved up, spreading the citrus colours into the sky. Leaves taken from the wind were swept into the sky, but never touched me.

"So, what do you think?" Len's voice snapped me out of my enchanted state.

"_It's beautiful,_" I wanted to say. But that was too plain, and I wanted to say something else...

"It looks like...oranges. I mean, I love oranges!...Fire is orange."

Good job, me.

"**No**! I mean, the sun is like an orange. And since the sunrise is my favourite part of the day, it's like a BIG orange giving its orangy-ness to the world. And I love oranges, just like how I love dawn...!"

I get the award for being the most retarded person in the world. I was expecting Len to laugh or stare at me like I was a lunatic (which I actually am). But all he did was smile sheepishly.

"I like that. The sun does looks like a HUMONGOUS orange, if you think about it." Then he scratched his head, which freaked me out because to do that he has to let go of an arm, leaving only one arm to keep me from falling. "Then that means...the moon is a banana!"

I was struck by brilliance. "Oh yeah..."

"You like oranges, which represent the sun. I like bananas, which represent the moon. Basically-"

"You are the moon. And I am the sun..."

"So in that way, we are connected. The sun sets, and the moon comes up. But as day comes, the moon retreats with its darkness, and the sun takes over. Also, since the moon gets its light from the sun, it relates to what you do to me: You give me light."

"Light..." I murmured. My eyelids were getting extremely heavy. After a night with no sleep and all this drama, exhaustion was finally catching up to me in this peaceful moment...

No. I'm not going to sleep in the sky. I'm not-

"Haha. 'Good Night', Rinny."

"Good Night..." I whispered, surrendering.

I wish we were really Sun and Moon. Then we can stay where we are right now, in that precious period of time where Night meets Day. But a girl can only dream...

"_Len...you came back. Y__ou came back to me..._"

* * *

**a/n: Please tell me what you think! :) I'm just really lonely here on the other side of of the screen. Thank you all... :D **


	6. K

**a/n: Although I don't have ALOT of support, I still thank everyone who takes the time to reads this! :) It helps me continue adding to this. I honestly don't know what readers want to read these days, so thanks for everyone who reviewed and stuff~ :D I'll write something fluffy at one point in my life, I PROMISE! ^^**

**BTW I'm introducing Kaito to this story, cuz what's a story without Kaito?! Also, I'm starting off this one with Len's POV.**

**ENJOY~**

* * *

**Len's POV:**

Rin is in danger.

But I can't tell her that. It sucks being a doll, no matter how human you may seem you are still controlled by the Maker.

I can't just cuddle her or tell her good night or heal her hands when I'm keeping a secret from her. After all, didn't I come back to this world to tell her goodbye?

Yes, but there is another reason. I have to protect her, after all she has done to me.

I lifted my head from the wooden floor, and remained in a sitting position. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, seeing the Doll Room behind it if I stared hard enough. Where I was, there was just darkness and dolls. The Maker was there, too.

_"What are you thinking about, child?"_

I immediately reacted, because the Maker hates tardiness. "Oh, it's nothing, Maker. Thank you for your concern."

_"You are lying to me. Since you are under my command, your emotions and thoughts are connected to mine."_ The Maker sighed. _"It's about the girl, isn't it?"_

Darn. I should've known that The Maker would know why I was looking distressed.

"...Yes, Maker."

The Maker's small figure was stroking a teddy bear, his face blanketed in shadow. For awhile, he was silent. I could tell he was thinking.

_"Ah, I see. I understand why you care about her. But always bear in mind that she is just a mere mortal. Once the day of your death comes, she is nothing more than a memory. And she can't be any good while she is alive, logically."_

I didn't react to The Maker's words. But I knew he was wrong. He is-

_"You may disregard my words, but in time the truth will shine through."_

I laid my hand on the mirror, seeing The Maker and I reflected back in the pristine glass.

"I love her." I said simply, speaking to his reflection.

The Maker shook his head, probably disapproving my thoughts. Then he vanished in a wisp of smoke, leaving the teddy bear behind. I picked it up, and it spoke to me: _"She set me on fire. Why does she deserve to live?"_

I placed the bear in one of the many piles of dolls that had inhabited the Doll Room. Before night falls, this is where we dwell until the mirror is activated.

"I'm sorry. But believe me, she does."

I sat in my position in front of the mirror, in this dull and dim room. The dolls and I waited for the nighttime, when we have our freedom. I just hope Rin would come back and find me here. She is the only one besides the Maker who can free us, just a touch on the mirror would do. Why?

Unless I wanted to risk punishment, I cannot say.

"Please come quickly, Rin."

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

The first thing that entered my mind as I awoke was: _"He's alive..."_

I immediately sat up, finding myself back in my room, in my bed. Stunned, I hopped out of bed despite of yesterday's happenings. Yesterday...

What had happened? I just remembered a train, a rose, a castle...

Oh wait.

As all the memories came back to me, my head was struck with a strange dizziness. I fell back on my bed, remembering the night I had found the Detective. Curling up on top of the sheets, I relived every detail of us, and the metaphor of Sun and Moon...

Something in my heart stirred, something I haven't felt in two years. And it wasn't that overbearing twinge of guilt. I struggled to find a name for it...

Joy? Bliss? Contentment? Freedom?

_Love?_

I giggled at my answers. Getting up, I spun around in my room, my nightgown flying out under me. I was a dancer once again, pure happiness on my face. I didn't know why, but I danced to the sound of my own voice, raising it up to the ceiling.

**"I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW. GET DOWN HERE!"**

My Great Aunt's voice hit the notes that I couldn't reach. I sweatdropped, and ignored her command. I just fell back down on my bed, laughing. I was a lunatic.

Was I high? I remembered playing hide and seek with him in the Castle, watching the stars and flying to the top of the world. I remembered falling asleep in the sky, the scent of roses, and his arms around me.

The giddiness was wearing down, but I was still happy. I discovered that my cloak was folded next to me, the lighter still in my pocket. The rose, however, was gone.

"Then that means it wasn't a dream..." I stared at my hands, feeling the soft and pale baby skin. He had healed them, with a breath.

The breath of life.

**"YOU IMBECILE!"** I turned to see my Great Aunt in the doorway, hands on her hips. A scowl of pure fury was on her pudgy face, and her buttons were about to pop. **"WHATEVER I SAY IN THIS HOUSEHOLD IS LAW! AND WHEN I SAY MARCH YOUR SORRY ASS DOWN THE STAIRS, THEN YOU MARCH YOUR SORRY ASS DOWN THE STAIRS!"**

The sight of that bison standing there immediately took away my good mood. I forgot I had the hag to deal with.

I lowered my head, not in shame, but in distaste. Glaring at her from under by saffron bangs, I followed her and "marched my sorry ass down the stairs..."

As we approached the dining hall, I stole a glance at the grandfather clock that stands watch. 3:22, in the afternoon. I now see why she was so angry at me, because I had slept through breakfast and lunch. I felt like a ghost as I crossed the room, to take my seat at the other end of the dining table. That took awhile, since the table was longer than five of me stacked one on top of each other. The wood creaked as I moved.

To make things short, I spent the next half hour eating breakfast, and listening to my Aunt talk. She was lecturing me about waking up so late, threatening to pull my fingers off one by one if that happened. I just hoped she was known for her sense of dark humour...

**"THE DAY DOES NOT WAIT FOR THE LIVING, SKINNY! DON'T PULL OFF ANOTHER MOVE LIKE THAT, AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAD AN ALL NIGHTER WITH A WINEROOM OF SAKE! IF LAZINESS WAS ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERISTICS, I'LL HAVE YOU BOOTED OUT OF HERE AS FAST AS FIRE SPREADS! AND THAT WAS NOT A JOKE, MIND YOU!"**

It took all my willpower not to strangle her wrinkly throat, talking about fire in such a undignified way. I sat there with my hands clenched, tearing a stiff pancake with my teeth. It was horribly made, with so much toughness and dryness it felt like camel hide. Not that I actually ate camels before.

_"In another life, in another time, would I be this bitchy as well? Or is this my predetermined future foretold?"_

Eventually, the conversation settled down. Because we were so far apart, we had to scream to get anything across. I chewed the tasteless pancake, with my Great Aunt's eyes watching me the entire time.

**"DEAR ME, YOU HAVE LEAVES IN YOU'RE HAIR! CARE TO EXPLAIN THAT?!"** My Aunt yelled. My hand flew to my head, finding that she was right. I pulled out the brown leaves nervously.

**"UM, THE WINDOW WAS OPEN! I GUESS THAT HOW THEY GOT THERE!"** I was a quiet type of person, but it felt good to scream at my Aunt for once.

**"YOU NEED NEW CLOTHES!"**

_What?_

Within a second, she was at my side. My Great Aunt stared down at me with her spectacles. I saw her wrinkle her nose, pouting her lips.

"I was getting tired of yelling at you back there. Even a professional opera singer has to have her rest." I wasn't surprised with her occupation, with a voice like that. "Now, as I have said before, your choice of clothing is disastrous. I'll have to drive out to the city to get new ones for you."

"The city? Isn't that a five hour drive away? Why would you even bother?"

Like a flabby whip, her hand cracked against my face. Her nails and her rings scratched my face as she smacked me, leaving thin lines of blood as my head flew in that direction. The pain would've caused a normal person to collapse to their knees, but I just stood there with disbelief. My hand rubbed my cheek as tears burned my eyes, which refused to look at her. Inside, pure hate was burning like a wildfire.

"Watch your fucking mouth, _Skinny_. You're lucky that I even considered getting your clothes, after you being locked up for two years. Do you think I want to do it? NO. I'm doing it for you. Next time, you think before you speak." My Great Aunt shuffled out of the door, probably towards her car. "If you ever, EVER attempt to burn anything, remember that He has a special place for you down below. Where ALL the fire comes from."

"He has to make certain reservations for someone as well." I thought, wishing I had a match with me right now. Then I can have the pleasure of watching her burn, myself.

With that, my Aunt loaded her large body into the seat, starting the car. I glared at her as her disappeared down the driveway, and onto the road that leads to her destination. Five hours, huh?

That's plenty of time to explore.

Throwing the cloak over my shoulders, I headed through Melancholia and crossed the railroad where I was nearly killed the night before. This time though, I sped into the forest, trying to locate the Castle...where Len was.

Even in broad daylight, trees curled inward, massive bodies trapping in all light. As I walked cautiously across the undetermined paths, a chill ran down my spine. Each towering cedar was exactly the same, standing next to each other like the teeth on a comb. This forest didn't seem natural at all, making me run faster. I had no idea where I was going, my feet crunching under fallen vegetation.

"The Castle was in the east, right?" I asked myself. I thought back to when Len had carried me into the sky. From west to east was the Mansion, the town, and then the Castle, which we were hovering above. That's an estimated 30 minutes to get there, on foot. 15, if I run.

I felt the area where I was struck. Drops of crimson blood was forming where my skin had split, like raindrops on a spider's web. I wiped it away with the edge of my cloak, wincing a little. Normally, I would run free with the blood on my face, because blood is something I have seen more than a normal fourteen year old should. Also, I didn't want Len to worry about me being hurt, if I see him. WHEN I see him.

_"I wonder what's pushing her buttons..."_ Already it's the second day, and I've already been verbally and physically abused by that witch.

As time passed, I began to feel the weight of exhaustion. My feet stopped running. I took a break, gasping for a breath with my hands on my knees. I looked up towards the sky, the sun spilling through the evergreen branches. It's been more than 15 minutes, and I was going nowhere. The trees mirrored each other, staring at me motionlessly as I past them. Was I lost?

**NO**, I can't be lost! My sense of direction was extremely high, I can't just get lost like this...Maybe the Castle is just ahead, I just have to keep going.

But I was wrong. For another hour, I wandered aimlessly in the forest, each begotten shadow the same as its brother. I felt a sudden rage inside of me as I finally realized that I was in fact, lost.

I stood in the middle of the path, looking up at the sky to see any hint to help guide my way. Feeling pathetic, I just sat on a nearby log, knees pulled up in front of me. Hunger, thirst, fatigue, and anger did not matter to me. I listened to my breathing, as the wind played with my hair. Where was I going?

I never got lost before.

Hopeless. That was how I had felt as I hugged my legs, burying my head in them. I just wanted to see him, to confirm that it wasn't a dream. It would shatter my heart, more than that accident had ever destroyed me, if it was all in my head. If it was just my insanity torturing me again.

But I have to keep going, he's waiting. I was just about to get up, until a twig snapped. Then another.

I wasn't alone out here.

I had just spun around, cloak splaying out around me, as the silhouette of a man stepped out from between two tree trunks.

"Len?" I whispered.

But it wasn't him. A monotone, but soft voice echoed from the forest. "Excuse me? Are you lost?"

Blue hair emerged, almost translucent in the dim sunlight. A tall figure made his way towards me, with smooth strides. As I saw his face, I nearly fell back in surprise.

He had a mask on. Not those you get at masquerade parties, nor the ones you wear at Halloween. It was just a plain, molded face, plastered into an eternal frown. A single tear, drawn in pen, ran down the mask's left cheek. Otherwise, the person was completely normal, wearing a black shirt and jeans.

"Hello?"

I didn't find the courage to reply. I just stared at him, frozen. Should I run? I must look so suspicious, alone in the middle of the forest, dressed in strange attire. But then again, wasn't he as well? He might even know where the Castle is...

"Yes?" I answered, trembling.

"I was just wondering why..." He trailed off, observing my wide-eyed look. "Oh, am I scaring you?"

With one motion, he lifted his mask, revealing cerulean eyes. He pushed it so that it rested in his shiny hair, which was the exact same colour as his eyes. His face lit up in a smile, although it looked like a smirk.

He chuckled, apologizing. "Sorry about that. It's just that in Melancholia, we have to wear these stupid things to achieve the 'melancholy' the town lives up to. They can be quite frightening at times, not to mention just downright depressing." He looked at me in the eyes, raising an eyebrow. "You're not from here, aren't you?"

I nodded, still feeling like cornered prey. However, I relaxed, and brought myself to say the words. "No, I'm not. I was just in here, for awhile."

"It's fine. I know this forest really well, being here all my life. I can show you the way out."

So he's just a resident, living here? I let out a breath, relieved that he wasn't another supernatural being. "That's very kind of you, sir. But it's not necessary, I can manage on my own. Thank you though." The real reason was that I wanted to go find Len, or else all this wandering would be for nothing.

"I beg your pardon, but I insist. You see, legend says that there was a castle, deep in these woods, which house a curious throng of creatures. Nobody knows what they are, but it is known that they follow orders from the master of the castle. So far, not much is known about this castle, except for the fact that it only appears at night. It's best, I'd say, to get you out of here before twilight falls." The blue-haired man started walking along one of the routes, with me following him.

"At night?" That's why I couldn't find the Castle then, if it only appears at night.

"Yes, I suppose. In the daytime, it is said to be the Graveyard, where the souls inhabiting the Castle rest." He replied. "I work at the Graveyard. Gloomy work it is."

"Oh. And are these beings..." I brought myself to say it. "..dolls?"

The guy, who looked about three years older than me, scratched his chin. "Interesting. I'm not sure, but that can be a possibility. There is a library in town, and you can check out local legends from there. They have the best folklore collections!"

_"What if I told you that I have **been** the Castle? And one of the spirits guarding it is a six year old boy that I killed?"_ I almost felt like saying, although he'll probably recognize me as the crazy girl. I looked over my shoulder, as my footsteps shuddered soundlessly behind him. Len will have to wait, I guess.

"What is your name?" He asked me, turning around.

"Rin."

The man looked at me, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Rin. I'm K."

"K?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "In Melancholia, we are only allowed to give out the first letter of our names. It gives everyone a secrecy about it." K gave me an unamused look. "There are several K's in this town, and it gets really annoying sometimes. Nobody is allowed to have nicknames, or even give them out to their siblings. Only me, and my parents know my true name."

I cocked my head with interest. "Then...I would be R?"

"Yep. Though Rin suits you more."

I smiled slightly, still lost in thought. There must be much more to this town than I thought there would be.

Eventually, after a few twists and turns, K and I reached the town. I took the time to memorize the route we took, so it'll help me later.

"Where do you live?" I asked him, as we departed at the railroad. It took him awhile to reply, scratching his head a little awkwardly.

"Well... I live at the Graveyard, in a tiny cottage. You won't see me around very often, because I don't do much of anything else besides guard it. At night, though, I would stay clear of it. Common sense from all the people living here." His smiley face turned serious, so sudden that it caused the blood to drain from my body. "Remember, Rin. Never go into the Forest, again. Your life and your sanity depends on it."

I managed a feeble nod, feigning disappointment. I didn't wish to disobey him, but I have to go there. Even if a handsome guy leads me out and orders me to stay put. Like I'm some sort of insane kitty to him.

"Okay."

K saluted, and with a spin, dashed into the Forest. I stood there, watching him go, until his shadow completely vanished from my sight.

I never broke a promise in my life. But I have to make an exception for now, because there is another promise I have to keep.

But in meantime, it's time to check out the library.

* * *

**K's POV:**

The wind whipped through my hair, the trees flew by, leaves shuddering at my speed. My feet pounded, echoes of my heartbeat, urging me to keep running.

_"Rin's one interesting child."_ I pondered, about the encounter. _"Fourteen and roaming the Forest alone? Something's definitely up."_

I turned this way and that, a maze of trees unfolding in my mental map. I have to get to the Castle, before Rin does. Before the Detective wakes up.

Yes, I know about her little scheme. And those myths? I made them up, because why not? Every story needs a little spice to it. Plus, adding a lot of mystery to a lie would make her want to come the the Castle even more. And how do I know about her?

Well, I watched her. When she was in the Forest, I followed behind. So strange she was, a trembling child weighed down by guilt and a cloak, facing the cruel world. Believe me, I know how that feels. Yet the determination and hate in her eyes was so strong, it powered her to continue pressing on. It complemented the tender yet stoic heart she had, all wrapped in a unsteady enigma that told the earth that she was troubled. Greatly.

That's why she had turned to him. He was but an innocent child, as she was a innocent girl. Until the day of the Discovery, they were inseparable. Something as small as a flame can initiate a disaster, and a new Rin was born.

So how did I know about this? I was there when it all happened. And I was there when Len had died, in the hospital. It was heartbreaking for me to see Rin carry all this unnecessary guilt with her for these years, because she didn't even cause it.

You didn't cause that fire Rin, even though it I know how much you love it. Who did, then?

Unless I wanted to risk punishment from the Maker, my lips are sealed...

My pace slowed to a stop, as I reached the Graveyard. An iron fence encircled it like barbed wire, the alabaster gravestones shimmering in the sun and shadows combined. What I loved about this cemetery was that when the pearly stones shine, it looks like the tears that were shed here by mourners. The ones who glow the brightest are the ones that were surrounded by love.

My gravestone, though, didn't.

I opened the gate, entering the cemetery. Dead silence blanketed me, my each step light and leisurely. I smiled as I reached the centre of the Graveyard, marked by the statue of a weeping angel. The angel itself was a beacon of light, the tears sliding down its face were so real in its radiance. I closed my eyes.

Lifting my arms up, I sang to the sky:

"_Dancing bears, painted wings._  
_Things I almost remember,_  
_And a song someone sings,_  
_Once upon a December._

Once upon a December, you came to me. And now, take me back.

Bring me back to my Castle, Maker."

I opened my eyes, bringing my head back down. I smiled, standing in the doorway of the Castle. The Graveyard was gone.

The double doors opened for me, beckoning me inside. I took the invitation gladly, stepping into the Castle foyer. I headed down the long flight of stairs, something I have done a million times. Literally.

In the circular room, constructed completely out of stone, I headed for the bolted trapdoor. I reached into my pocket, revealing the key, and I stuck that into the lock. Upon turning it, only one thing was revealed.

A silver knife.

* * *

**a/n: Yes, K is a stalker. But we can expect that from him... xD**

**I didn't put this in the last chapter, but the song that was mentioned, "Once upon a December," is a real song. I don't own the lyrics, the movie or anything. It was my favourite song when I was young, and it became even better when I heard Oliver's version of it~ :3 (search it up if you want). I chose it because it has a beautiful tune and Rin and Len's brithdays are in December, too. c:**


	7. Secrets in the Mirror

**a/n: I just wanna thank Storm Skyress for her continued support, and the Porky guy too~ :) You are all so nice...xo**

**Sorry this took awhile T.T Sickness. School. Overall stress. You know the drill. But at least I have my computer! :3 We have a new character joining us, not for very long though...^.^**

**~enjoy :)**

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

The gloomy building stared at me. I stared back.

I still didn't know why I came here. To be honest, I didn't pay any heed to the legends K had told me about. I knew for a fact that they were real.

The door gave off a resounding creak as I pushed it open. The ancient building itself groaned as I entered it, as if it was greeting me since its last visitor. In the dusty dimness, shelves and shelves of books and newsprint overflowed from their places like restless beings. I didn't actually know if the library was open.

"Hello?" My feeble call bounced back to me with no reply. Besides the wind rustling through the curtains, making them hit against the window, all was silent.

Then I heard footsteps, as a librarian approached. As I turned, I wasn't surprised the see that she had a mask as well, identical to K's.

"May I help you?" The librarian had beautiful hair in pigtails, a iridescent turquoise colour. But the darkness from years of working amidst filthy books had dulled it.

"Um, can I see your collection of folklore? Or anything to do with the legends regarding this place, please." I made my voice monotone and devoid of all emotion, matching hers.

I could sense her eyebrows rise, behind her mask. "You're not from here, aren't you?"

I didn't reply. However, the librarian just sighed, and retreated into the shadows. "This way." She beckoned.

I could catch from a single letter sewn onto her pocket, that her name was M. I guess K was right about the naming system in Melancholia. Why, though?

She lead me into one of the rows, in the far back of the library. It showed no difference to the other shelves I have seen here. "Here we are. Please enjoy, and come to me if you have any questions." The depressed tone of her voice never changed.

"Thanks." I mumbled. My black dress swished against my knees as I turned to the pile.

After M left, I started browsing through the hardcovers, not exactly sure what I was looking for. However, I was still keen on finding out more information about Melancholia, and her people. I skimmed through a few novels and guides, looking for any key words that caught my attention. In a letter, The Graveyard K had talked about was mentioned, founded by a local commoner who lost his son to the Devil. As they buried him, they erected a statue of an angel instead, to remind everyone of his son's purity.

I tried not to think about Len as I read the manuscript, flipping through more books. Nothing about Melancholia's past, besides a few documents detailing her building. I read a chapter talking about the Forest, the language so vague that I couldn't tell if the descriptions were actually metaphors. It was said to be so vast, that no one was able to find their way out, if they ever got lost. Many people went missing this way.

But didn't K say that he knew the Forest really well? He even showed me out. Since it didn't say anything about the stories he told me, I moved on.

Then a black and white photo immediately captured my attention.

It was a fuzzy picture of two men, constructing the bell tower that now rests in the centre of the town. But the guy next to his purple-haired friend, wearing identical masks of weeping faces...

Is that K...?

The two men wore overalls, as they stood in front of the scaffolding. Dust covered their bodies, but the masks remained white. I scanned the caption under the photo. _"Two citizens at work, constructing the Bell tower to the orders of the mayor. 1876."_

_1876..._

My eyes widened, forcing myself to keep silent. I ripped the photo out of the huge history book, stuffing it into my pocket.

Is that really K in the photo? Why was he here then, with me? Could he have died, two hundred years ago?

Then that means he is a...

_Oh no._

I peered at M behind the shelves. What about her? Is she like him too?

However, M showed no signs of danger nor unease. She just seemed exceptionally melancholic, as if she had tried to commit suicide before but failed. M sat at her desk, staring at nothing in particular as the mask hid any sense of life she had. I didn't know if she had spotted me looking at her.

Then, with a sudden shift in the atmosphere, M's body language shifted too. She fervently looked around, as then ducked down to the drawers of her desk, rooting around for something. Emerging, she showed a file packed with paper. Hugging it to her chest, she walked out of the room...through a door bathed in darkness, in a suspicious manner.

_What is she doing?_

I followed her silently, my feet making no sound as I tailed her. In the darkness, this move was simple. Scooting along the long wall of the hallway, my shadows elongated as I stuck my head into the room, surveying my surroundings. I narrowed my eyes, the heat of the small chamber was irritating them. I looked up at the head of the door, trying to make sense of the words scratched there.

"_Incinerator_."

My eyes widened. No wonder why the warmth in here was so intense.

At the very back of the room, was a fireplace. Above it was a mirror, that was as long as the mantle itself. M strolled in the middle, gazing through the files casually. Then she tossed them into the flames.

The flames. Burning passion, straddled in the vivid colours of the sun. They danced at a pace of their own, crackling with laughter, as they devoured the paper. I wanted to laugh with them, to show them that I was a part of their world. A world of sheer destruction, a frightening power I desired so much.

My hand reached into my cloak, feeling the lighter in my pocket. It would be so easy just to light this miserable building on fire, just a flick and a toss and then I would be dancing again.

_"Flickitflickitflickitflickitflickitflickit!"_

_NO._

I slapped myself, hard, onto the place where my Aunt had struck ME. The excruciating pain snapped me from my delusion, reality flooding in. No. I finally get a chance of feeling like myself again, I won't let these flames take over me.

"Hey...you're not supposed to be here..."

Flee! But it was already too late. M spotted me crouching by the door, watching her. She crossed the room surprising fast, and attempted to seize my arm.

"Ah..!"

I dodged at the last second, feeling the presence of her fingers still hovering above my arm. My foot caught the door frame, causing me to fall into the room.

**THUD**! My face hit the soft carpet, but I ignored the pain and lightheaded. Instead, I sprang up and made a run for the fireplace. The flames were intermingled black and white, the papers that lay dying in the hearth. I made a grab for them, unaware of my own safety.

But my timing was incorrect. I tumbled into the combustion, my eyes flooded with amber. Tongues of flame erupted around me, as I realized what I have done. I lay in the fireplace, grasping the paper with my scorched fingers.

Forks tore at my flesh, the pain scintillating along my arms, legs, and face. The air reeked of smoke and burning hair, but I didn't struggle. I was instead crushed by guilt. It was the first time I have felt something else besides the sheer insanity and desire when I'm around fire.

"**GIRL ON FIRE! THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE! HELP!**"

M, instead, was screaming. Her shrill voice was nothing like the one I had heard her speak in, and she was going wild. She was running, I was burning...

Then I felt ice elapse around my shoulders, and then every inch of my body. It took me awhile to realize that this familiar feeling was water. I could feel my eyes burned out of my sockets, however I could still catch sight of my surroundings. I looked up, but that was a big mistake.

K stood above me, and the fire he had killed. He stood back hunched, sweat running out of his mask, panting deeply. In his hands was a bucket.

I could feel myself blacking out again, my consciousness fading away from me. How did K get here? How did he...

"Rin, hang in there! Just stay still, don't move, it might hurt...go to sleep..."

Was I going to die? Again?

I felt strong arms lift me up from the ashes that cradled me. The pain spread like a wildfire. No matter how much I wanted to protest, I couldn't move. Each part of my body has been eaten.

M looked away. I could tell I didn't look very good. Like a rotting corpse, I suppose.

The last way I wanted to die was by fire. How did I get myself into this, anyway? That memory was a faint thought gone with the flames. I just wanted to see Len. I just...

"Don't struggle, Rin. Just let it go..."

_Let. It. Go._

How can I do that after all I have been through? I could barely sense K carrying me to the doorway, a trail of my blood showing the path he left.

_"Take me. Take me to the Pit of Fire, I am ready."_

M screamed again. I didn't turn my head to look, but I could hear her shrieks through the fog of my mind. K cried out too, turning around, giving me full view of what was happening.

The mirror above the mantle was glowing, a brilliant blue colour. Aqua swirls sprang out, engulfing the room in blue.

"Rin!"

That voice...it was Len's...

"Rin! Don't go with him! He's a-"

I didn't hear the rest of the sentence. With a grunt, K ran out of the room with me, leaving M behind. The faint light was disappearing as he ran down the hallway.

"Len..."

An ear shattering lightning strike caused the room to shake. The room erupted with light, thunderstorms that swirled like the thoughts in my head. A blue appendage of ectoplasm tore out of the room, slashing K's back. Then it proceeded to wrap itself around his waist, pulling K closer and closer to the door, returning us back into the room.

Floating in the middle of the room, was Len.

"If you have any logic in you, Kaito, you would surrender her to me. Do that, and no one would get hurt. Then, you leave her alone."

K chuckled. "So, we meet again Len-kun. Do you want me to destroy you other eye, too?"

Len's hand flew to his face. But then he returned to his courageous stance, glaring at K with his one good eye. "That won't be necessary. Leave her alone, you hear?"

"The curse is already in action, little guy. She is going to die, just like all the others. We are all controlled by the same Maker, you know."

_Others? What others?_

Whatever it is, I am going to find out. I can't die yet, no matter how much K intends on it.

I dug my teeth into K's shoulder, interrupting their little conversation. K yelled in pain, dropping my broken body to the ground. I fell HARD, crying out in agony.

"Rin!" Len's scream reached my ears, laced with fear and urgency. K bolted out of the door at the distraction, but Len didn't seem to notice...

Two hands grabbed mine, and I felt myself floating, being pulled...

...into the ice-cold world of the mirror.

* * *

Screams and whispers circled me, a tornado of fear. An icy feeling passed through my body, as if I was falling into snow.

"Hold on tight."

Underneath this half-dead corpse, was a beating heart burdened with fear. Countering against that dread were warm hands pulsating with life.

Though death was upon me, I concentrated on the warmth, as it enveloped me. I sank into his chest, eyes wide and dead. It hurt to be conscious. I couldn't cry, the tears burnt out of my eyes.

"Rin, remember that story you told me? The one about the dolls?"

Yes. The one we made, when we were straddled in sleeping bags, cuddling under the moon.

"...Just concentrate on that. Don't focus on the pain, please?"

The pain...Don't worry Len, it's just a burn. The fire is my friend.

I thought about that story, trying to gather the scrambling details. I gripped his hands, fighting to hold onto him. The greatest fear right now was losing him.

Now, that story...

_"Once upon a time, there was a faraway kingdom. In the forest right by the kingdom lived a little old lady, who had the power to recreate people with dolls..."_

"These people, though, were souls of those who had died. The little old lady put the souls in the dolls, and gave the dolls to her friends, so that their deceased could be with them." Len continued for me.

I took a shaking breath. _"It was a strange talent. But the little old lady loved her dolls, and never separated from them. When her nephew had passed, she made a doll of him, so that she could take it along with her."_

"But her nephew was too lost in the Underworld. She couldn't revive him, no matter how hard she tried. So she went to a young witch, who told her that to bring him back from the dead, she had BE with the dead."

_"The little old lady was afraid. She didn't want to journey to the Other Side, but her love for her nephew was stronger. He was the only family she had, and she wasn't going to lose him. The lady stepped through a mirror, which was a portal to the supernatural world, and finally retrieved her nephew after a long and agonizing path. It was worth it, though.."_

"The little old lady and her nephew spent time together, forever. They were so happy that they could have each other, and the fact that they were together even after death. That proved that love ruled over death. It was love that brought the lady and her nephew back. That was what mattered the most."

_"And they lived happily ever after..."_

"The End."

Len brought his lips to my forehead, kissing it lightly, but long. A slight wind blew through my hair.

The floral scent was intoxicating. I closed my eyes, letting that warm feeling flow through my veins. I felt my skin repair itself, the feeling of healing pouring down my body like a stream of light.

"Does that story sound familiar, Rin?"

I nodded, flabbergasted that I was healed once again. Wasn't I dying just a second before?

"Yes. That...that was very similar to my life, right?" I felt my skin, soft and pale in the cerulean colour of my surroundings. We were just floating, in this vast expanse of nothingness but blue. It was so peaceful, being lighter than air in the silence.

"You have always been there, to save me..." I looked into his eyes, blurry with tears. "Why am I so stupid? To be hurt again and again, only to be saved and repeat the process again? I can't even thank you, no matter how hard I try. I am so weak, and yet you are so merciful. Why haven't you killed me yet? I did that to you in the first place. You healed a killer, a murderer, a psychopath. You patch me up, after being ripped and torn. It's like being a...doll."

He put his hands to my shoulders, his voice cracking and his eyes concerned. "Rin, I can't kill you. No matter how much you hate yourself, I'll be here. I'll be here no matter what." Len eyes took on a mature sadness in them, as if it hurt him to tell me the truth. "I came back to protect you."

"W-why? I'm better off dead. K should have just killed me."

K. As I remembered K, new emotions came back.

"Listen, Rin. That story, the one you had made up, was so similar to your life, no? That's because they weren't just stories. They were flashbacks."

"What..what do you mean? I don't understand.."

"You know that 'little old lady' and her nephew? They were real people, living a thousand years ago. Except the story had a dark twist to it. The lady wasn't sane in the head. When she started to create those dolls, she became the first Maker. She had the ability to trap souls into the toys she makes, whether they like it or not.

When you had told me that story, I didn't know what had happened after. You didn't know either, so I'm telling you now. That little old lady was a pyromaniac. Like you, she lit all the dolls on fire, even the one of her nephew. To get revenge, the soul of her nephew brought the other dolls to life, and they all tore her to pieces. They didn't live happily ever after, Rin. I didn't want us to be like that. That's why I came back, to protect you from that fate. The prophecy K was trying to accomplish."

"No..."

"Yes. K is the Maker's assistant, one of the dolls brought to life by her nephew. K was one of the people who had lived in Melancholia, until he died when he was attacked in the Forest. Stabbed by a silver knife, and left for the dead. The Maker rescued his broken body, and constructed a doll for his soul to inhabit. But K is more powerful than you think, maybe even more than me. I get my energy from love and trust. He gets his from hatred and fear. He's out to get you, because the Maker commands him to."

"The Maker? The one who had brought you to life?" My head ached, to all this information, spreading to my heart when he talked about a prophecy. "Isn't she the old lady?"

Len shook his head. "No, but she is the first Maker. She gave birth to new beings by making them from cloth. When she had died, though, her nephew took over. It's been that way for years."

"Then what happened to the lady?"

"That's why I came back to tell you. I found out when I had died, that you aren't totally yourself, Rin. Remember the day you had discovered your love for fire? That was at age ten, right? The little old lady had the same feature. In fact, when the Original Maker was destroyed, she reincarnated a tenfold of times. Throughout history, she had been reborn again as different people, all who had her talent and her love for fire. That's you, Rin. You are like her. She reincarnated into...you."

"What? No, Len..."

"Rin, you are the Maker. The true one, who had been killed by her nephew a thousand years ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"No! How can I be the Maker?! I can't be her! She just came from my mind, nothing else. I can't be the Maker, I'm just one person..."

It hit me more than that stupid truck had years ago. How could I accept this?

"Rin..." Len leaned closer to me, his voice lowering. "Does the name_ 'Oliver'_ mean something to you?"

"No..."

I was bombarded by what seemed like a flurry of flashbacks, of memories forgotten to the past...or generations. I remember the loneliness of living in the cottage, my hands as I worked magic into the dolls, the hearth we used to sit by, the day when he had died. The bloodshed, hurt and anger that took me through the mirror and into the dark and suffering. The joy when I had brought him back, into the form of a doll. How we spoke to each other as I carried him around in my apron pocket...

The day I discovered fire. The sheer passion, to touch it and throw it. I remember the dolls shaming me for this desire, so I burned them all. The pain of being disemboweled and torn by the dolls, which brought back to life by my one and only. After that, I remembered my adventure of jumping from body to body, all people who had ended the same way as me. Killed by their insanity, in the form of their most precious creations. They all died like me. I felt that same punishment again and again, before I was reborn.

Oliver was the name of my nephew. The one I had killed, the one I...

"No..."

My world was spinning, I couldn't tell that I was falling until Len caught me. I broke down in front of him, the truth flooding in like it had always been there.

"It's true. I am the Maker. I had killed so many, all who had ended up like me..." I looked up to him with desperate eyes. I didn't just take his life, I lived as other people and made them waste away.

I was the first Maker. There had been more, all coming down to me, a blond girl who lost her best friend. But instead of letting me die, Len came back...to save me?

Because if I die again, I would reincarnate into somebody else. And then that person would die.

"It's like a chain, Len. A chain, a curse that never ended. There will always be someone who will die, killed by the dolls." Someone had died before me. And another will, after I'm gone.

"**I have to stop it**."

Len looked at me in astonishment. "Rin, but how can you do that? Oliver will kill you, like he did eons ago. The spirit of the Original Maker cannot be in peace. She will keep on going forever...I came back, because I knew K was going after you. Oliver told him to. But even though you aren't disemboweled, you will die anyways. I just wanted to keep you from the most painful way..."

"And I thank you for that. I'm so proud of you, for combating death and reliving a tough, inanimate life so that you could protect me. You really are the Lenny I know." I sighed. "But if I want to erase all this guilt, I have to stop this curse."

His eyes lifted, and I could see genuine happiness behind them. "Thank you...but you were the one who brought me back, with that doll of the Detective. Remember, the one you had chucked out of the window? That was me. If you had let me burn with the others, I wouldn't have this much power." His expression turned pensive.

"But if you really want to stop this curse, I will help you. I believe that we can do it together, you and I. Like the old times. I want you to be happy, after all you've been through."

I smiled. "I already am."

The blue light around us turned translucent, as if it had suddenly morphed into crystallized water. I could see my room, behind the glass.

Grasping his hand the entire time, we went through the mirror, streaked with the colours of the prism. I finally had a time for my brain to shut up, and my heart to speak for once.

"No matter who you are, I will always love you, Rin."

* * *

**a/n: And now the romance begins! :D Yeah, that librarian is Miku! And K is evil. I couldn't help but feel like I gave away the curse a bit too quickly, but I left out some of it for later~ I hope nobody minds, though :3**

**It's 12:30 am where I am right now! I wonder what time it is where you guys live?^_^ Eheh...**


	8. Murder

**a/n: Urgh I feel so guilty for not updating in a week.. ;_; So I'll try to correct my ways and post this and apologize...forgive me and this stupid schedule I call my life. D:**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter! :3 enjoy...**

* * *

**Len's POV:**

I could feel the glass pass through me as we emerged from the mirror. The light descended, as the pale blue glow faded. Once again, we were in the Castle.

"Are we back?" Rin said, as she phased through the mirror after me. She still looked shaken, a bit mentally unstable, after I had told her the truth. Even though I may regret my decision, I have to let her know. Even if Oliver will punish me for it.

"Yeah, in the Doll Room. This way."

We weren't exactly in the Doll Room, we were in a cellar. It was just an extension of it, just under one of the stone tiles. Walking up the short flight of dusty stairs, I unlatched the door and threw it open with a resounding thump.

"Here we are. This is just the cellar, were the mirror is kept. In the daytime, the dolls and I rest in the mirror, where we were before."

Rin nodded in understanding, her eyes big circles in the dark. I smiled reassuringly, and climbed into the Doll Room. I reached for her hand, helping her out too.

"Thanks." She whispered. Rin was a bit unsteady, possibly from her past experience. I let her survey the room. "Where are the dolls?" she said in disbelief.

"They're back in the mirror. We can only come out at night, when the gap between the living and the dead is thin. In addition, unlike me, the dolls can't leave the Castle." I lowered my voice, in contempt. "K has the same power, except he is active as night too. Something that I'm not capable of alone."

Rin stood in the middle of the cold, lifeless room. In the light of the setting sun, I could see her raise an eyebrow. "So just now, you were able to pass through the mirror because..."

"Because I have you with me. You are the Maker, right? As long as you are here, I have to power to appear wherever I want, even in the daytime. You can even send me back, if that's your wish."

"No, it's fine." She half-smiled, still lost in thought. "Thank you telling me this. But I still feel...what's the word? Empty? Vacant? I feel like all this time I was living someone elses life, destined to die the same way they did. But if...but if I WASN'T the reincarnation of the Original Maker, would I be normal, somehow? Would I live the life I never got to have, one where you were still alive? You died so young, Len. And I should have stopped it."

"No, it wasn't your fault," I tried comforting. I believed that I was the one who was guilty, because I left her without saying goodbye. "Accidents happen, and they can't be controlled by you. They are controlled by nobody."

"I, however, was the one who had ran into the road. Even though it too was an 'accident', it was still ME. If I didn't, then it would've never happened." I put my hand on her shoulder, remembering the pain and lights. I was just glad I didn't see any blood. What felt like tears welled up in my chest, although it was physically impossible.

"Hey, where do you live?" I brought up a bit too randomly. But I was just wondering who was taking care of her the entire time.

"Oh, um...that mansion on the hill. I live with my..." Rin paused suddenly, eyes widening in shock. "Oh shoot."

"What's the matter?"

"My great aunt! She's the witch who owns the mansion. She was going out to town for some clothes, and would be back in five hours. If she doesn't find me home...then I'm dead!" Rin ran to the doorway.

I grabbed her arm, just before she bolted out of the door. "Wait, Rin. The time in the mirror world is different than the time here. An hour here is a minute in the mirror. So you're not late."

"Oh..." Rin lowered her gaze apologetically. "But I still need to get back. I have this ominous feeling that something bad...has happened over there."

Always trust a Maker and her instincts. "Then there's a faster way." I said somberly.

Rin stared at me, desperate.

"If you go through the Forest, K has the chance to strike back. He died there, remember? I won't let him get to you, but there's still a risk. Unless he follows us, we should Mirror Travel."

"Mirror Travel?"

"Just come, you'll see."

I grabbed Rin's arm, and we bolted down the stairs. Shutting the dense wooden door, I paused to see if I could sense other presences in the room. Luckily, there was none.

I walked up to the mirror, feeling energy rising up in me. It takes strong emotions to open a portal to the spirit world. But with Rin, I just might be able to do it.

"Rin. I know this was uncalled for, but tell me how I died. It will help me...summon a doorway."

Rin gaped at me, like a deer caught in headlights. Her doe eyes wobbled, as she stared at me in disbelief. "W-why?"

"Please. I need you to. The mirror can only be opened by intense feelings, like rage and hatred. But since that is emotionally impossible, the easiest emotion to conjure up is grief. The Maker can open up a portal, but if we BOTH enter, our tears are needed. I'm sure that story would break the both of us. It's cruel, but it's the only way."

My best friend nodded in understanding. With a deep breath, the hushed words flowed out. I never heard the story, I only knew the part where I departed from the world, and nothing that happened outside. Just a pain like a thousand steaming suns, and my soul fighting to fly free.

Hearing her say how I disappeared, in her point of view, stuck a spear through my chest. I forgot what it felt like to cry, but tears are something imbued into the human nature. Soon enough, I felt them down my face and neck, although I was also struck with curiosity at the presence of them.

There was something else to my death. Something she didn't see. But as I watched her and her memory, I could tell that she was hiding something too.

_"Don't think about it, Len."_

Smiling, I wiped at my face. Eventually, Rin's words were choked with tears as they came out, ending her story once and for all.

"I'm sorry it's painful. But thank you, these will do just fine."

I wiped at her face gently, brushing her bangs as I did so. Rin smiled sadly, as I collected some of her tears with my finger, mixing them with mine.

"I just hope they work."

I could feel her looking over my shoulder as I blew the tears, which were puddled in the palms of my hands, onto the surface of the mirror. They reacted immediately, absorbed into the glass. Rin gasped, as they formed like living beings, grouping together under the surface to create pools of light where the liquid had touched.

It was ready. A howling wind erupted in the mirror, sending in colours of blue like tendrils. White specks dotted with purple sprang out, the gale whipping through my hair.

"Quickly, before time runs out." I stuck out my hand, for her to take it. "Are you with me?"

Although she was hesitant, I was ready to support her. Rin smiled uncertainly, but I knew for a fact that she trusted me. And her trust was something that had kept me going all this time.

"Let's do this."

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

I swore shooting stars flew out of the mirror as we entered it.

I wanted nothing to do with whatever is going on with my aunt. An awful, terrifying dread loomed in my chest, and I was positive that it was something about her.

My eyes were flooded with light, as the two of us spiraled into the unknown. It was like diving into the ocean, but with a force like a firework. Like eagles, we pummeled into the swirling mist, colours like violet and magenta merging into the madness. It was truly beautiful, if I didn't have the frightful feeling unbeknownst to me. I focused on his head, as we zoomed through the mirror, eyes pained and fingers fighting to hold onto his. The roar of space fighting time was sucking us like a vacuum.

I was terror-stricken. I was terrified of my fate, my future, my everything. I was scared of K, of pain and death.

But I never let any of that show outside of me. I didn't want fear to eradicate me of my mission, to stop the Maker's curse. Even though I myself is the Maker.

_"I am strong. I am courageous. I will fight..."_

Words I have never spoken fought through the mess of my brain. I opened my eyes reluctantly, but never letting go of the fact that Len would never let me fall. Now, instead of falling through the mirror, I felt like we were flying through it...

_"Thank you for bringing light back into my life, Len."_ I thought, imagining the message reaching his head. Ever since I met him again, something in my heart lifted. Something I couldn't explain, but I knew I felt it **somewhere** before.

_"I guess I just have to wait."_

Opening your eyes, really LOOKING into a situation helps you see things. As I looked around the wormhole, I could see pictures...no, scenes...rushing past us. Like doors to other places, to other worlds...

"Look at all these mirrors. They are the doorways to your world, and even others. I just have to find it..." Len's voice was surprisingly clear, through the noise.

We flew past several screens were women looked at us, admiring themselves. They had no idea that through their mirrors was a dimension where spirits dwell in wisps of light.

"There!"

Up ahead, I saw the mirror of the only room I knew: My own. Our course swerved, as we headed for the vision. Funny, I don't remember a mirror the last time I was there...

"Hold your breath. It's dangerous for the living to exit the spirit world, unless they vow to stay here forever."

I nodded once, and did as I was told. I clutched his hand, which was warm despite of death. I saw my room in front of me, feeling like a bowling ball speeding towards the dark, distant future. Like I was about to crash, to collide and wake up to a mouthful of blood...

But none of that happened. We were tossed through the glass as if we were nothing but pure air, and the next minute my forehead was against the ground, thrown out carelessly. The smell of the hardwood floors was familiar, with the sudden humidy telling me that I was in fact, inside.

Len wasn't as messed up as I was, mainly because he had clearly did something like this before. But he looked slightly dazed as he stood in the middle of the room, like a lost kitten. I felt a tightening in my chest, and realized that I had been holding my breath this entire time.

"So this is your room, huh?" He inquired.

"Yeah.." I might have looked slightly embarrassed by the plainness of it. "It's not as fancy as that Castle of yours, mind you. I moved in yesterday. At least, I think it was yesterday."

Len smiled as looked around my room. "I like it. It has lots of natural light, unlike where I live."

True, though I still hate the dustiness of it. I turned to look at where I came from, and found a body-length mirror on the wall. That explains it, I guess. That also means that my aunt had probably got this after she got the clothes. Which reminds me...

I threw open the doors of the wardrobe, finding rows and rows of skirts and whatnot, all in black or grey colours. "She's back, Len."

No reply.

"Len?" I turned to find him next to my bed, scanning one of the romance novels that were in the dresser next to my bed. I doubt he knew what they meant, but he seemed interested nonetheless.

"**Len!**"

I finally caught his attention, as he turned to meet my gaze. "Oh, sorry. I just happened to see these here." He lifted one of the books to show me, raising his eyebrow suspiciously. "And I have to say, you've got a strange taste in literature, Rin."

"Gimme that. It's not like I ever read them, okay? Those dirty things were there when I got here." I swiped the book, glaring at him, still flustered. "Why don't you read at your own time?"

"There's no library in the Castle. Besides, even though I am technically six-years old, I have a considerable word bank. What I'm saying is that I can READ, okay?" His face then grew serious, as if he detected something. "I can hear someone downstairs. Is that your "aunt figure", perhaps?"

I nodded. "Yes." Now that we stopped speaking, I could sense shuffling noises below, too. "I'd better go check. That's why we came here, right?"

"Right. You go down, I'll stay here. Good luck."

_"I'll sure need it."_ I thought, as I tiptoed down the stairs. It's about six-thirty, but the house made it feel like midnight. I took several deep breathes, realizing that dreaded feeling had returned.

"Hello?" I called through the doorway of the kitchen, once I got there. "Ma'am?"

No answer. I entered anyways, through the dark of the hallways. "Hello?"

Approaching the counter, I could barely make out a figure sitting alone in the near-darkness. Her eyes were hidden, glasses looking almost tinted in the drawn-curtain dimness. But the posture was painfully recognizable; it was the one I sat in when I'm lost deep in thought: Back bent, body rigid, hands tangled in hair as if one was attempting to tear it out.

That's strange, I thought it was a five-hour drive? Then why was she back in less than three...?

"Um, hi. I'm here."

The old lady moved her head towards the sound of my awkward greeting, her neck looked so stiff that I could swear I heard it creak. Her eyes took on a dead look, but still gleamed with fear, within those hollow pupils. Her lips parted, and she hissed one sentence:

"They're dead."

I didn't want to know who she was talking about, but I had to ask. "W-w-who?"

"**DON'T PLAY STUPID WITH ME!**" She suddenly stood up from the seat of the table, knocking the chair over in anguish. "**YOU KILLED THEM! IT'S YOU!**"

Suddenly, whatever courage I had inside of me shriveled like a balloon emptied of air. I had NO idea what she was talking about. "W-w-w-what..?"

"**YOU'RE PARENTS!**" She howled in my face, saliva flying off of her tongue. **"YOU BURNED THEM, IN THEIR HOUSE, DIDN'T YOU, YOU CRAZY, EVIL ANIMAL!**"

My parents?! Killed in a fire?! I felt like all my insides had been mixed in a blender, and was threatening to come out of my mouth. And my aunt thinks it was _me?!_

"I didn't do it! Please, I swear...I wouldn't do that! How could I get there in such a short time?" I tried reasoning. But I was better off taming a dragon on steroids.

"**YOU DAMN LIAR!**" She screamed. "**I LEAVE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS?! AS LONG AS I LIVE, YOU ARE A MURDERER!**"

She came towards me, slow and lumbering. I couldn't do anything except back into the corner like a mouse, minimal light streaming through the crack between the curtains.

"N-n-no, I didn't-" Pleading didn't work. I have to flee.

"**GET BACK HERE!**" Her furious voice rebounded through the hollow house as I ran up the stairs, in attempt to escape in vain. I could feel her coming after me, rapid footsteps thumping up behind, echoing threateningly...

"**GOTCHA!**"

I screamed as her nails dug into my ankle, bringing me down. My chin hit the stairs, making me bite my tongue. The blood pooled in my mouth, rising like the fear that caused the adrenaline to rush through my body. I grabbed the railing, scrambling to shake my leg away from her.

"**LET GO!**"

Her nails dug through my socks, as she tried to pull me from the railing. I could feel the tendons in my knee creaking...

_"Stop...!"_

The sound of breaking glass plugged my ears, as I saw a framed photograph being tossed down the stairs. It hit her the chest, smashing once it reached the ground. Because of this, my aunt lost her grip on me, and I fell onto the steps, panting. I knew it must be Len at work, so I took the stairs two at a time to reach the flat. But not before stealing a glance at the photograph that had a horrible crack spreading on the surface. It was a black-and-white picture of a beautiful young girl with long hair and solemn eyes. Underneath the photograph was a signature and a date: _Lily K., 1918_. My aunt, perhaps? But I had no time to ponder, I have to keep going.

My aunt grunted, flinging the picture over her shoulder. Like an animal, she thundered up the stairs after me...

"Ahh..!" I continued up the second flight, but my foot caught on the first step. I could feel my legs turn into jelly for one precious second, feel the air on my face I quickly regained my balance. A force pushed against my back, urging me to run up. I did, trying not to breathe through my mouth. The stairs were a blur as I took them four at a time.

_"Finally..."_ I reached fourth floor, my room. With my aunt about ten steps behind me, I raced down the hallway. As I got there, I saw that the big mahogany door was a crack open, and Len's eye peeked through it. Upon seeing me, the door burst open, as he grabbed me and pulled me inside.

"Quickly!"

I nearly threw up as he pushed me, hard, onto my bed, and rushed to close the door. He then pushed the desk in front of it, anxiety written on his face. I ran over to help him, but he stopped me.

"Just get in the closet. She'll be here any second!"

"Len...my parents..." I could feel tears, from the bottom of my heart, leaking out of my eyes. My words were gurgled by the blood in my mouth. I knew I should listen to him, but that moment caused me to freeze in place from a flurry of emotions. My chin and tongue were throbbing.

"I know...I'm so sorry. But please, hide in the closet and close the door. I have an idea."

I did as I was told. The closet door was open, and I got in. I felt shameful, for letting Len do everything. Shame was the emotion I was most familiar with, anyways.

My thoughts were interrupted when loud noises and thumping occurred from the other side of the door. Then the door was lurching, from whatever was trying to get inside. Len took notice to this, and pushed the desk firmly in place, to prevent the door from breaking. He backed away, as it shook under my aunt's fist.

"Get inside!" I pulled him by his collar, into the closet with me. I shut the door, and sat in a huddled position. The least I could do was return the favour of his assistance.

Len and I sat in the darkness, shrouded with clothes hanging from above. We were both terrified as we listened to the pounding noises get louder and louder. I finally leaned over, spitting blood onto the closet floor. The irony scent filled my nostrils, making me nauseated.

Len took a random shirt and wiped my face its corner. Though I was thankful I had him there, I also felt foolish just letting him give me all his attention. Once my mouth was clean, I asked him about his plan.

He took off his hat, wiping his brow with it. "She's going to get in at some point, and she'll know we are in here." Len explained, whispering. He examined the lock on the wardrobe, which only locks from the outside. "I'll go out, as she comes in. Once the old lady opens the closet door, I want you to stay put. I'll push her, and that's your signal to run. When you come out, we'll shut the door and lock her in. Sounds like a good plan, Rin?"

I didn't have any better solution. "Yes. Let's get this done."

"Great. I know it seemed irrational that I didn't take you out from the balcony, but I just wanted to make sure she is 'quarantined' somewhere, so she doesn't cause harm. And to go back into the mirror wouldn't be fast enough. I hope the blood has gone down..." He commented about my mouth.

"I'm fine, thanks. But it's **you** I should be worried about. So far, I haven't yet risked my life to save yours..." I winced, as the pounding of the door increased.

"You did. You did, but I didn't make it. That's my fault. I knew I was going to die anyways, but you decided to make it so that I could die WITH you, by risking your own health. And that's something I'm really thankful for."

I was about to say something else, but then the bedroom door flew open. Len pressed his hand to my mouth, cutting me off. We listened with anxiety, sweat rolling down my forehead. Angry footsteps circled the room, with a certain voice calling my name in a way that made my hairs stand up.

"Oh Rinny, darling, where are you? You know you can't hide from me forever...! Rin? Oh Rin~!"

Her footsteps hobbled irregularly towards our direction. Len looked at me, before phasing out through the closet door. I held my breath, knowing she was right in front of me...

"**There you are...**"

Both of the doors flew open, light streaming through the opening like a strike of lightning. They brought out the folds and edges in my aunt's visage, magnifying the furious and twisted look she portrayed. As much I wanted to run, I stayed put. A gnarled smile took form on my aunt's face, in enjoyment of seeing me tremble.

"You have no place to go now!" She made a lunge for me, just as I saw Len right behind her and...

**_WHAM!_** With a force that shook the entire closet, my aunt fell in. It was my cue to escape, and I did so my hopping over her body before it had fully collided, making my way towards Len.

"Okay, NOW!"

Together, we pushed the doors shut, sealing her inside. I locked it, and Len moved the desk and dresser in front of it to keep her and her screams in. Without any words, we ran to the balcony. Putting his hat back on in a rush, Len grabbed me around the waist and took flight to the darkening sky. I panted, like I was scared that my breath would leave me. Panicking, I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the moment of freedom in the sky. It took quite awhile, for that adrenaline be suppressed.

"We did it, Rin."

I smiled, because it was true. Yet from this day on, I have a second mission: to find the murderer of my parents. But how?

My tears slid down my face and fell down to the glistening Earth, but never reaching the ground.

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**a/n: Poor Rinny... Q.Q As of right now, I'm technically the murderer of her parents. Hah. :/ (I'll try to update this thing quicker...)**

**Thank you all who are following this, you make my day filled with rainbows~**


	9. The Librarian

**a/n: I love school, but I hate the homework. And homework has been getting me to type slower than I already type, so I'm glad I could get this completed asap...Anyways, thank you for all who gave me feedback, and all who didn't. Reading your reviews really make my day~ (insert unicorn/rainbow comment here)**

**Thank you to Storm Skyress, Dreamer520 and Porky dah King (LOL I love your name) for your continued support! xoxo**

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Rin's POV:

"I know you didn't do it."

Len's serious voice brought me back to reality. My hair blew around my face, obscuring him from me, but I knew his expression was grim.

I tried to get my words out, but tears fought their way through. "Someone did."

"Your aunt-" He started, his breath tickling my ear. "...is an interesting person. But what caused such a demeanor?"

I shrugged sadly. "Old age, perhaps?"

It was still merely twilight, the setting sun causing a brilliant glow to sweep over the town. The Forest itself was alive, speaking through the wind and light. It looked nothing like summer, though. Len froze in the air, and then swiftly descended into town. It was a questionable act.

"Where are we heading?" I asked.

"I'm going to pick up the daily paper. We'll see who is REALLY behind this murder."

Oh. So it's mystery now. "You've always wanted to solve mysteries, right? And now this is your chance?"

His gaze lowered. "Yes. But I'd never thought it would begin like this. I wanted to be a detective that was alive, and solving riddles regarding murder, but not THIS murder."

I kept silent, my eyes glued on the town coming closer and closer. His arms loosened as my feet reached cobblestone, near a old-fashioned building that stood black against the orange sun.

"The press isn't open at this time. But then again..." He phased through the door like it was nothing. I waited nearby, in the alleyway. Crouched, I put my head in my hands as all the events of today dropped like a sinking rock into my head.

My parents are dead. Burned in a fire, an arson. Who would want to inflict harm on them? I didn't know many people here, so I considered the obvious. Len would never do such a thing, and he was with me this entire time. K would probably kill them, it was pretty clear. But with fire? And why would he want to do that? Or what about my aunt? Maybe she burned them while she was in town, and then faked the act of trying to mangle me as a coverup of the murder. Who knows? She seemed to be the type to slaughter a human being, not to mention two.

"Rin, listen to this." Len emerged with the paper, half of his body still on the other side of the door. He started reading."The devastating murder of Mrs. and Mr. Kagamine (first names not enclosed) shook the entire neighbourhood. Early this July morning, or possibly the night before, a fire broke out in the east side of the city. Residents alerted the firemen shortly afterward, at approximately six am (according to reports). The fire was traced back to the Kagamine residence, consisting of only Mrs. and Mr. Kagamine, who's bodies were found charred beyond recognition in the basement, which appeared to be locked. The house was in bad shape, for only one wing of the house was left and the said basement. It is reasonable to conclude that this was a deliberate fire, an arson. Police departments are currently investigating, and have found five matches and a lighter in Mr. Kagamine's pocket, some he probably didn't put there himself. Strange footprints that did not belong to the Kagamines were found all around the areas of the house that were still in stable condition.

It is also important to take note that the Kagamines had a daughter, name not available, who may or may not still be mentally stable. Their daughter have had associations with the East Hatsune Juvenile Asylum (E.H.J.A) for her reported love of fire. This youth had committed crimes of arson in the past, and a supposed murder of..." Len paused, pained. "..young Len Kagamine (2005-2011), who bore no family relations whatsoever. This girl has been released from the asylum recently, and her whereabouts unknown. However, she is the police's number one suspect. Further investigation is required, and the town's safety is prime."

Len stopped at there, allowing me to speak. When I said nothing, he filled the space for me.

"You were at the asylum, Rin?" He looked at me with huge, disbelieving eyes.

"Yes. For two years, after you had died."

"Why would they do such a thing..." He whispered to himself. Why he was on my side, I wasn't sure.

"That fire was because of me, you know. When we were at the hospital, I was the one who set you on fire!" I practically screamed at him.

Len's eye widened, the dilated pupil in the dim light. "It was you..? It can't be! That person..."

"Who?! Tell me, and I will eradicate this person!" I almost begged him. Really, all along it wasn't me?

Len zoned out completely, his one eye lost its life. His face was glazed over as he stared sleepily at nothing.

"Len...?" What was wrong with him? Is his consciousness in the middle of a flashback, or did it have something to do with Oliver?

"I-I-I..." He stuttered.

Just then, before I could demand anymore information from him, a scream broke through the air like a blade. A sudden light source was evident from behind, causing my shadow to elongate in front of me. I turned, and saw a certain teal-headed lady standing quite a distance away from us, face exposed and pale. Her eyes flashed in terror, as she dropped the lantern she was holding. She was actually very pretty, without that ignorant mask to block away her features.

"M! It's only me. Don't scream!" I tried to coax her. But her face was frozen in pure fright, staring at me helplessly. Then I suddenly knew what had scared her.

"This is my brother, L..." I lied. She must have seen him when he was sticking through the door without opening it. "He was visiting, but he works here now. The light must have been playing tricks on you, he's not a..."

But M didn't listen to a word I said. Instead, she pointed at _me_ and screamed "GHOST!"

"Wha?"

"Y-y-you were that girl that died in the fire!" She started backing up, as I started moving forward. "You are dead! I saw your body, that person took it away..."

Of course. She wasn't aware that LEN had taken it back. Seeing me alive at twilight must have scared the living daylights out of her. I fumbled for an excuse, but decided to tell her the truth. Besides, what can a librarian be capable of in terms of interaction with the dead? It might even inspire her to write a book or something.

"Listen, M." I said, softly. "I'm not dead. I was, almost, but I was brought back to life. You see? I'm still me. It may take awhile to explain, but I need your help to find who murdered the Kagamines this morning. It was a murder, I swear. They weren't just killed by an accidental fire-"

"NO! STOP!" She shrieked. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" M's ponytails flew out from behind her as she sped away, and she nearly tripped over the remains of her lantern. Before I could bolt down after her, she was already speeding through the town screaming her head off.

"HELP! THERE ARE GHOSTS! THERE ARE GHOSTS BY THE PRESS AGENCY!"

Len, who had remained silent behind me the entire time, went after her. By using his teleportation, he "flew" towards her, disappearing every metre. Sometimes he hung like a spider under the rafters, other times he was up above.

I didn't get a chance to see the whole chase through the streets. But when I caught up to them, I could see Len holding M's body at the train tracks, the train blaring its whistle as it zoomed past. I covered my ears, because the noise was killing me. Also, I wasn't a fan of trains since I nearly died the day before. After the train continued into the distance, I ran up to them. M's eyes were closed, her body limp and pale. She still had the etches of fear prominent on her face.

"Len, you didn't..." The young lady's body hung lifelessly in his arms, neck stretched to the scene behind her head, as if she was struggling to breath.

"No, she's still alive. Just asleep. But she won't be waking up until further notice."

I couldn't stop staring at her fair face. It looked so dead, all the colour simply sucked from her cheeks. All the dead faces I have seen were twisted in grotesque features of agony, but M here looked so peaceful. It was a beauty so unlike fire, but so comforting to me.

Len caught where my eyes were staring. "She's pretty, isn't she?" I mused, my words finally leaving my mouth.

He took the time to scan her features. "Yeah, she certainly is. But no matter how much beauty she holds on her face, I still had to do this. We didn't want her to alert the entire town. Did you hear that voice? I was lucky that I could get that sleep spell to work instantly." He paused. "Besides, I know someone else who is prettier."

I didn't know what to feel at that. No way in a million years will I look like M. "You must be talking about yourself. I never really considered you to be the most masculine type." I grinned. "Just kidding."

His hand flew to his short ponytail, and then returned back after realizing it was a joke. I remember how he was extremely self-conscious of that little tuft of hair, no matter how many times I insisted it was "cute".

"Oh."

We laughed together, realized that we were going off topic, and faced the new problem we had: M.

"She has to come with us. She can't wake up unless I'm there to call off the enchantment, and she would probably calm down after that. Thus, we can have her for questioning."

"I see. Like why she was in town in the first place." I looked up at him, thoughtful, as we started walking deeper into the Forest. "Although chances are she would try to question _us_ first. M had taken me as a ghost, you know."

M's ponytails swished leisurely as we walked. My mind returned to my parents, thinking about their killer. M must have **some** knowledge in that cranium of hers, which wouldn't be surprising. Librarians should be intellectual in one way or the other.

Although looking at her right now, in a white sweater and leggings, she looked more like a teenage girl than an adult. Maybe as young as sixteen. Being in that library, years of mingling with the dust swirling in the air, and the monotonous law of keeping one's emotions suppressed gave her the appearance of someone older.

Len looked like character from a 1900's mystery film. One was wasn't actually living. I looked like a strange kid with a sad bow for a hair accessory, and dark coloured clothes. Not to mention I was wearing a cloak, one that was scorched from a recent accident. Yup, we were a strange trio alright.

Len looked up at the sky, seeing the stars that blinked like eyes. Already the sun had vanished, and it was nighttime. "The Castle...I have to let the dolls out."

"I can take M, if carrying her cumbers you." I offered, though I honestly can't hold her for more than a minute.

Len smirked. "If you manage to do that, then I fear for you Rin. Thanks anyways. But maybe if you help me move her onto my back, I can probably get to a clearing soon enough."

My face took on an unamused look at his statement. "But why do you need to get to a clearing?" I helped move the tealette onto his back, with some difficulty, causing him to chuckle.

"It's for moonlight. As well as certain emotions, I run on moonlight. The dolls also need it to exit the mirror, so I have to be there at the right time."

With that, the darkness parted as we approached a small glade. The ample trees around us made a circle, as if gesturing to the full moon above. Len laid M on patch of ground covered with moss, and strolled up to the very centre of the clearing. The pale, serene light of the moon pooled all around him, giving him the appearance of glowing.

I watched, bemused, as alabaster orbs took form from the moon's rays, bursting into silver sparkles as they encircled him, like snow. Making a white vortex, the orbs spun faster and faster until he himself disappeared.

But from the very top of the stunning whirlwind, Len flew out in a burst of glitter, laughing. Like an eagle, he swooped down in a speed no man had ever harnessed, towards me. The look in his one good eye said mischief, lit by the blinding light.

I was lifted in the air, grabbing his hand. Len held onto M and I, and sped off into the sky, leaving a trail of white behind. The air chilled the muscles in my face, cutting into me like a blade. We were going so fast, the wind blowing towards us was like running into a wall. The trip was filled with twists and corkscrews, and his laughs of childish excitement. He was a shooting star, traveling across the sky.

Finally, underneath me I could see the Graveyard, which was a pearly garden hugged by the subtle darkness, iridescent like water. We dropped, gently compared to all the intensity of the flight. I stared at my arm curiously, surprised that it hasn't dislocated yet.

Whatever tears that had been forced out of my eyes froze on my face, making me look like a toddler after a tantrum. I had to remind myself to breathe slowly, for all the air left my lungs. I stared aimlessly at nothing, trying to collect my words. I just flew across the sky at the speed of thought, what was there to say?

"Awesome, right? See the things that I can do after regenerating?" He looked over at me and laughed even harder. My face put on its confused look, and looked around to see what was the matter. As I caught my reflection on a nearby tombstone, I nearly jumped from the sight. All the hair on my head had stood up on the ends, as if I had a fight with a hairdryer.

"Very funny..." I smoothed it down casually, having to tug a bit. Len had to hold in his giggles, making him look like a hamster. I had to laugh as well, just from the sheer comedy his face...

What's wrong with me? Why am I always laughing with him, at the dumbest of things? Even before, I didn't giggle this much. I was a sad, unamused baby when I was young, so my happiness confused me.

"You look like Frankenstein's hamster, Rin." He remarked.

"Well, hamsters are cute, my friend. I shall be thanking you for that compliment."

He blushed, and facepalmed as he realized my point. Then, as fast as the moment had occurred, it was over. The solemnity had washed itself over us, as we turned to lift up M. Listening to the scraggly grass under my feet, I followed Len to a towering statue of a crying angel. The tears still evident on its stony face. I extended my hand to touch them, ensuring myself that they weren't real.

"Over here! You will have to close your eyes, Rin. M will be fine."

I laid M onto the ground, and heeded his words. Closing my eyes, I wondered what on earth he was attempting to do. Or why I would trust myself into being completely defenseless in the dark, in the middle of a cemetery?

"Sing along, if you like."

What?

"Dancing bears, painted wings.  
Things I almost remember.  
And a song, someone sings..."

"Once upon a December..." I whispered, finishing it for him. I couldn't sing it, in fear of breaking down. That song held so many stories between us, up until the moment he had passed. After mumbling some inaudible words, silence followed. I had to fight the urge to peek...

From behind, I felt him take my hands off of my eyes, leaving me in the shadow of the Castle. I stared in disbelief, in submission.

"How..-"

"Songs have much more power than you may think, Rin." He cut me off, smiling softly. He took M in his arms, beckoning me to follow him to the doors of the Castle. "We'll see what we should do with her."

With an almost melodic creak, they opened as we approached them, in a welcoming sort of manner. Lit in a velvety light, the Castle was just how I remembered it, right down to the smell of flowers that always rubbed onto Len.

With a resounding bam, the doors closed themselves. My feet padded across the ground smoothly, still in shock that it was solid. I did nothing more than follow Len, because the inside of me was too scrambled to think properly. To think, that an average person would've been driven to insanity by the events of these 48 hours. Then again, I wasn't an average person. I'm not that totally sane, either.

"Where did this Castle come from?" I asked him. I moved my hand across the walls as we walked past them, feeling the embossed wallpaper rise and sink under my fingertips. I was curious to see if this building housed more than just a Doll Room.

"I'm not entirely sure, but they said it belonged to a royal family, their names unknown. They lived ages ago, probably before Marie Antoinette and similar figures. The Castle was taken over by the People of the North, who have then reduced it to debris. That's basically all I'm aware of, although there will be information in the library too." His hand explored his coat pocket for the button key, sticking it into the lock of the Doll Room. We went in, the empty circular room glaring down at us.

"Could it be," I spoke softly. "That there is a reason why dolls choose to inhabit this particular castle? Maybe a certain member of the family left something behind, or even a type of energy. Maybe even the same energy that brings back the ghost of the Castle each night." These walls were so real. There's no way that the amount of power contained here was meager. "And how is a song a vital part of reviving this building?"

Len didn't reply, lost deep in thought. Surely he had theories of his own, just some that he didn't want to share. "Our birthdays are in December, right? Then it might indicate that 'once upon a December,' two children were born. That's why the song was important. Since you are the reincarnation of the Maker, that song must have a significance to the Castle. And then that means that the Castle and the Maker are associated with each other somehow."

I though about this, as Len set M onto the ground. She hasn't made a sound nor movement since the train tracks, courtesy to the spell. Her cheeks had some colour brought back into them, making her look more than just a letter with a mask. _"What is her real name?"_, I wondered.

Len placed his hands over her eyes, whispering quiet words. M's body twitched, her mouth moved as the rest of the feeling came back to her body. Her green eyes sprang open, focusing like the lens on a camera. She gasped, sitting up, as she realized there were other people in the room.

"A-a-a-ah..."

Len pressed his hand against her mouth, gently so that she wouldn't think we were trying to kidnap her. "Shh..it's OK. Please don't scream again, we aren't trying to hurt you." He removed his hand, smiling to see that she was silent.

But it stuck me as weird when I saw the look on her face. M looked like she had been struck, or even enchanted, her eyes big and adoring and her face a healthy shade of pink. I cocked my head in confusion at her reaction.

"W-where am I?" She asked Len softly, as if she lost her sense of reality. I felt a bit awkward that she was ignoring me and speaking to Len.

"The Castle. Don't worry, it's just that you were screaming really loud. We just brought you here because I have to ask you some things." I tried my best to reassure her, but she seemed squirmish. I still think she believes that I am dead.

"M..." But the librarian pulled her sweater right up in front of her face, whimpering softly. I felt almost enraged at her reaction. Can't she see that I'm alive?!

"Rin's not dead, miss. I apologize, but it is quite a long story. Anyways, I would be glad if you would please acknowledge her presence. Just calm down. Take a few breaths OK?"

M did as she was told, smiling at him. I watched as he smiled back. Why did I feel so _violated_ at this? Doesn't matter, I need to get information from this ding-dong.

"M, I need your help to find who murdered the Kagamines this morning. I knew the fire was deliberate, and today's paper proved it. They're my parents, M. I know I just met you today, and not in the most welcoming of ways. But you're smart, right? If you can help, perhaps show me some articles, we may be able to expose the murderer. I also need information about a curse, a curse that is affecting the ones around us." My hand rested on my heart without me knowing, to remind me that I was the curse.

The tealette seemed distressed at the request, but she took a few breaths and stated her answer. "It's part of my policy to help citizens in need of information. So, I will try my best to assist you. You still may need to explain that 'curse' thing a bit better." She looked at me, forcing a grin, one that showed that it's been very long since the last time she smiled. "You must be Rin Kagamine, the girl in the paper. I see now. It seemed logical that you would hop into a lit fireplace, after reading that article." She then realized the mistake of her words. "I mean, that wasn't meant to sound offensive. You don't seem too bad, compared to what the asylum said about you. It was great that you managed to survive and all."

I felt mixed emotions at her little speech, but I swallowed my anxiety and replied. "Thanks. I mean, for everything. It wasn't very healthy to leap into a fire anyways, and the fact that I died like that. The reason I lived was all because of Len, here." I smiled as he tipped his hat at me.

M was in her little fantasy world again. She stared at Len, eyes dazzled, as whispered in a tiny voice. "Len...your name is Len?"

"Yeah." He shrugged modestly. "I'm been informed that your name is M, is that right?"

"Um, yes, but..." She fought to find words to say, her face turning into a deep shade of red. "You can call me Miku, just not out in public. I'm not allowed to use my real name."

"Of course, Miku." He said. Miku giggled, upon hearing him say her name.

_"Miku..."_ I thought to myself. Though I couldn't stand the sight of these two together, I have to admit that Miku was a pretty name. One that mixed hard and soft at the same time, two sounds that went together in harmony. Now that I think about it, _"Rin"_ struck me as sharp and cold, as well as too short. Even though it suited me, I couldn't help but rethink my life if I was named Miku instead.

"So it's a deal then?"

"Deal." Miku shook my hand, sealing the promise. I noticed that the silence of the room was off. Len was a quiet person, but this silence felt strange.

"Where's Len?" Miku spoke up. She glanced around, trying to locate him. But he was gone. The spaciousness of the room squeezed us in in a psychological way.

"I'm sure he's at the mirror. You know, the dolls depend on him for their freedom." I reasoned.

"Dolls?!"

"I'm afraid you have lots of things to learn..."

I walked over to one part of the room (there were no corners, because the room was circular), finding the trapdoor we had came through earlier. I pushed it open, stumbling backwards from the effort, as I coughed from all the dust it created. I beckoned Miku to follow me down. She gulped, tiptoeing uncertainly down the steps after me.

Sure enough, I saw Len kneeling in front of the pristine mirror. He turned at our entrance, a bit surprised to see us here. "I didn't hear you come down..." He said.

One corner of my mouth lifted. "I didn't hear you DITCH us." I joked, a bit harshly.

His face took on a sarcastic look. "Gee, I didn't know I was prohibited to have my own personal time, _Master_." He turned to Miku, finally realizing the fact that she was with me. "Don't worry, Miku. Rin was my best friend, so we tend to tease each other."

_"Was.."_ I noted. "Hey! I wasn't teasing!"

Len just smirked. "Whatever you say, Rinny. Sorry I sort of left you guys there, but I need to open this thing." He placed a hand against the mirror, looking into it as if he could read the future. "Or you can..."

"Me?" I cocked my head in curiosity. I realized though, it was because of my "identity".

"You heard right. See this?" He got up, and walked over to a wooden switch on the wall. "Once this is pulled, a series of mirrors at the ceiling of the Doll Room is brought down. And at the precise moment once the moon shows herself from the clouds, the light will bounce though the mirrors, across the room, and end up here-" He turned to another switch, this time pulling it down. With a groan, the top half of the Doll Room's flooring opened up, exposing the main mirror to light. "-to the mirror. When the moonlight touches the mirror, the dolls are offered a gateway. But as of right now, the moon is blocked." He sighed. "So I was wondering, since you are here with me, maybe you can try opening it. You are the Maker, right?"

"The Maker?" Miku inquired.

"Sure. How should I do this?"

"It's really your choice, you know. You should try to tap into your abilities at least once, just to see what you are capable of." He replied.

I nodded, and walked up to the mirror. _"What on earth am I supposed to do?"_ I panicked slightly, touching the glass.

And that was all it took. With a sound like a thousand slapping birds, the mirror opened up. What seemed like ectoplasmic light spewed out, followed by small, humanoid figures. As I squinted for a closer look, I could see they are in fact dolls.

"What's going on?!" Miku screamed, clueless and frightened. I just grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, so she doesn't get into the way of the dolls. She and I were like hikers in a blizzard, trapped and frozen. Her super long hair kept whipping my face, while we watched the torrent of dolls ascend up, to the room above.

I spied a certain blond peek out from behind the mirror, which was leaning against the wall. He beckoned for us to join him, and I tried my best to shuffle there. Miku wasn't helping, because she just stood there not moving a muscle. Len eventually reached out and took hold of me, pulling the two of us behind the mirror with him. It was a tight fight, with Miku clinging on to both of our arms. I sat cuddled in the crammed nook, closing my eyes for the storm to pass.

Then as fast as it had came, it was gone. Len was the first to come out of hiding, followed by me and then Miku. The girl with the twin ponytails was still shocked from the recent experience, with Len trying to comfort her, as I threw open the trapdoor.

"Whoa..." Miku mused as we climbed out. "It's full of...dolls."

Exactly like the day I had first entered it, the Doll Room remained the same. Porcelain figures, dolls of humans, and stuffed animals, hoarded in the room. Some had eyes that were painted, or made of glass or buttons. But I knew each and everyone one of these creations and their stories by heart. Len and I had created them, though it was me who did the vital work. And I was the one who destroyed them.

Len gave me a knowing look as Miku explored the Doll Room, who was gasping at each and everyone of the figures. I didn't know whether it was a childish fantasy or actual fear, as she gazed upon the creations. She held one up, which was a librarian I called Minerva. Although it looked nothing like Miku, I watched as she fell in love with it...

Len smiled. "I'm glad you like them. Though they can get extremely fussy if kept in too long. Rin made them!" He turned to look at me.

Miku gave me a wide-eyed look of sheer amazement. "You made these...?! They're so real!" She turned the doll over and over, examining her from head to toe. "I feel like this librarian is speaking to me...just the look in her eyes says it all..."

In fact, she WAS speaking. _"Dear me! What an awful, absurd way to be handled."_ She thought, referring to Miku's hands. I can't help but giggle at that, and Len shared my reaction. I didn't dare tell Miku the doll's thoughts on her, just to feel the excitement of keeping a secret.

Another thing that I wouldn't tell Miku was the fact that I burned them, and that because of the Original Maker I may be killed by that very librarian she was toying with in the near future. Disemboweled, as the story goes. I shivered slightly at that, though I was a person familiar with blood. It was only because of Len that I'm kept safe from them, until that day comes.

_"When **is** that day?"_ I thought. Did all the Makers die on the anniversary of Oliver's death? I should go ask Len later.

I took the doll from Miku, looking at it myself. Indeed, her features were very nearly real, if I do say so myself. I smiled: This one I made after that librarian that had yelled at this kid who was chewing bubblegum at the library, with that kid not giving a crap. I remember how much I laughed about it when I got home, and proceeded to make a doll of the experience. Except instead of using the librarian's raging face, I used the kid's- a comical, inattentive look, as he continued to chew his gum. I captured that expression for the doll, although right now it looked more sullen than cool.

_"Time flies when you're having fun..." _The librarian's glass eye started dripping tears, running down her cheek until they dropped onto the ground. By then, they were the colour of blood.

_"No!"_ I closed my eyes, taking in collected breaths. I opened my eyes, and found the doll looking normal. There was no blood on the floor. It was all in my head.

_"Why do you do this to me?"_ I said to the "Maker" inside of me. I put the doll back onto the shelf where Miku had taken her, pretending nothing had happened. Although Miku remained the same, Len knew something was wrong.

Slightly afraid he was going to ask me about that, I spoke up. "Well, we have a goal now. Why don't we check out the library, M...I mean, Miku. Chances are I'll be there the whole night, because of..." I looked over to Len. "..certain circumstances."

Whatever Len had wanted to say was replaced by Miku's reply. "Sure thing! It's fine, you can spend the night at the library. It'll be nice to have some company for once. It will be like a sleepover!" Miku's attention shifted to Len, who had been waiting patiently the entire time. "Aren't you coming, Len?"

He shook his head. "I have to stay here, to look after things. But I wish you two the best of luck. And Rin-" He revealed a golden hand mirror from the sleeve of his coat, handing it to me. "In case you ever need me, or anything, just use this. I'm sure you know how it works."

I received it, feeling the heavy weight in my hands. "Thanks, Lenny..." I mumered, feeling its glass.

He smiled once, and then he was gone.

"So..." Miku said. "How are you gonna travel with that thing?"

"I'm not exactly sure..." Didn't Len say that you needed tears or something? Anything triggered by a strong emotion.

Are we supposed to cry again?

"Ew...I stepped in something wet." Miku whispered.

When I looked to where her shoe was, I could see a small puddle close by one shelf. A puddle of...tears?

"The Librarian!" I proclaimed, and immediately went over to put my entire palm in the salty liquid, though it was kinda gross. "Thanks Miku!"

Miku looked dazed, but I took the tears anyway. Then, we were off.

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

Books. That was all I've ever known. The only other thing I knew was that I have to keep my emotions obscured, like everyone else in this miserable town. And that crying mask, too. The word "why" would interrupt my nighttime fantasies, as I drifted of into the world of moonlight. Why is this important? Why can't I have my own thoughts and feelings, and dreams?

But then Rin came along. The library is such a lonely place, without someone to take care of it. That morning, when she had came by, she scared me. It had been ages since someone last showed up! And now, a strange girl with an uneasy look on her face comes in, and asks for the folklore section. My curiosity was smothered with sadness, of course, because I was required to. But when I watched her burn without a look of pain on her face, and a blue-haired stranger disappear with her body, I knew things were going to change.

I admit that my reaction went a bit "over the top" when I saw her in town, but who am I to blame? Surely a response like this was triggered by a logical explanation. You would've done the same.

But then I met Len. It was the first time I felt my heart leap, my face redden and my mind soar. He was dazzling! His beautiful golden hair. His baby soft skin, and the way he protected us, especially Rin. A gentleman. It was adorable! And when he said my name and looked at me with his azure eye(s), I knew I was in love with him.

But he was dead. I knew this from the start, because of the way he held me when I passed out. He was freezing, I couldn't even touch his hand without a huge shiver rocking my body. But he feels so warm to Rin, though. I wonder why.

Rin. What a strange individual. She is so young and fair, but so burdened. And this curse she talked about? My own mind couldn't comprehend it. What also bothered me was how we traveled through that little mirror, oh lord. I never had such a fright in my life! How can a young person be capable of something like this? But I resolve to help her no matter what, as that was my promise.

It is really late. After searching through interesting articles, digging through archives, and killing the keyboard for resources (I had no idea we had an Internet connection in this place...), we finally called it a day. I found some spare blankets and such and we camped out behind the front desk. That's where we are, right now. And I have to say, Rin sleeps like a rock. I haven't heard a single sound from her, nor any movement for the past hour. I hope this is normal.

But for now, I am "happy". That was a word Rin taught me! I finally found someone...no, two people- that let me express who I am. What a wonderful thing happiness is! I wish that in the future, I can teach this beautiful thing to all the people of Melancholia...just like how Rin and Len taught me.

"Thank you for bringing love into my life, Rin..." I turned over and whispered to the dark, looming figure that must be her body. I hope she didn't have the same feelings for Len, or else saying this was a mistake.

There was no reply. I mentally shrugged; that was what I had expected anyways.

Instead, I turned back to the window, which was on my side. I closed my eyes, and smiled.

* * *

**a/n: A few chapters back, I didn't want to keep Miku for long. But now, she has one of the main roles here! :D I always feel kinda strange writing romance-y stuff, but since I already have this in "Romance" I might as well just go along with it xD I just wonder how Rin feels about Miku's crush, though.**

**I think this is moving too slowly, so I'll try to pick things up quicker. This will have like, 20 chapters? Idk. **

**~Thanks fer reading~ c: i wuv u**


	10. Things Change

**a/n: Hi again! I hope you don't find these author notes annoying. But it is the quickest was to communicate with you people! :D**

**Again, sorry this took too long. I felt lazy this week, and had a bit of a writer's block for the next parts (it's over now, thank god! xD) Because of that, this chapter has lots of long descriptions and talking and feelings and yadayada. But I actually loved how this turned out, and I'll make later chapters more action filled. If you like the long descriptions though, that is awesome!~ And romance. There's a bit of romance.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

_"The stars in the night sky are the torches of the angels, watching over the children of God"_, someone once told me.

Although the roof of the library was was not was tall as the Castle, it was enough for a full view of the stars. And that was all I needed.

I can't sleep. Nobody could, with so many thoughts screaming in your mind. My Mom and Dad. K. The future, and the past. The curse. And Miku, the way she acted when she met Len made me feel, what's the word? Awkward?

I beckoned the wind to come to me, as if it blows all these troubles away. Although it was challenging because Miku was awake, I still managed to sneak out. Also, I stuffed some of the pillows in my place, so as long as Miku doesn't question them, I'm safe. I was concerned that she might get suspicious of the fact that I haven't been moving or breathing, and try to check things out. I'm a restless sleeper, so sleeping peacefully isn't in my field of abilities.

I sighed, as a midsummer breeze set my hair to motion. I shiver slightly, regretting leaving my cloak downstairs. I felt so "incomplete" without it. Instead, I just pulled my simple velvet dress around my exposed legs, my hands warming my feet.

I pulled out the articles Miku and I had collected, deciding to look over those to keep myself busy. Our search wasn't fruitless, but it still left me with unanswered questions. Nothing in it said anything about the old lady or Oliver, but I found the documents for several of the Makers: All were female, all were insane, and exceptional craftswomen. All were obsessed with fire, and all deaths were from disembowelment. In several other cases, the disembowelment occurred after the killing.

_"How do I stop this?"_ I pondered over and over, like a mantra. I paged through the documents, coming to a photo of a black-haired girl named Rui Kagene.

_"Her name sounds so much like mine..."_ I thought fearfully. Rui was a fifteen year old that lived in China, dating back to the 1960's. She had started making puppets for her sister, before eventually becoming insane. She had claimed that the puppets were "plotting to kill her", before disappearing down a cliff. Her body was found three days later on shore, slit opened and emptied.

Another victim was Teto Kasane, and thankfully she didn't bear so much of a resemblance to me. Instead of a photograph, there was a drawing of a curly-haired lady with crazed eyes. Was that how I looked to everyone else?

Teto made dolls all her life, in the 1750's of Europe. She sold them in a little shop, and everyone remarked how real they looked. Thus, Teto was accused of necromancy and burned at the stake, labeled a "witch". But her charred body turned up at the mayor's doorstep, the insides spilling out. A doll of Teto herself was found, and that was also burned.

I flipped through more documents, but they were all similar. A stone sank inside of me as I realized how hopeless it was.

_"Maybe I'll try to see if there is a pattern in their deaths..."_ I reasoned. After a quick search, nothing much turned up. I discovered that they all died in the same manner, either suicide, a fire, or murder. They all ended up with their bodies cut open.

I wanted to give up. I wanted to die, but it was also the number one thing I was avoiding. If I die, what would become of the Maker?

I clenched my fists, crushing the paper. No, I have to keep going. I've felt so weak all my life, so this is my chance to prove that I can fight. K or dolls can kill or torture me, but I just want a chance to stop this. I felt like if I can achieve this goal, I'll be able to redeem myself. I won't be a murderer anymore.

My eyes traveled over to another document, this time it was a girl with a white, crying mask. A citizen of Melancholia! Her name, proving my assumptions, was Y. The girl had long purple hair, with the front part tied in two low ponytails. She looked even younger than me, maybe twelve years old. Y is the most recent victim, murdered two years ago. And the date of her death? August 17th, the same day Len died.

"This must be important." I folded the paper and pocketed it. I had a sudden pain in my head, so I took a break. I yawned, and wiped away the tears.

Miku seemed so different from when I first met her. Do librarians ramble on and on about seemingly useless things? When was the last time I cared about the things on the ends of shoelaces, or the why some people gnash their teeth in their sleep?

But Miku was an interesting person nonetheless. She had completely shed the attitude displayed earlier, and for once she looked "happy." When she told me how she didn't know what that word meant, I couldn't help but gasp. How inhumane it must be, to not know what joy feels like. No wonder why she wouldn't stop her endless babble, it's because she never got a chance to babble in her life. All the things piling up on her tongue she had wondered as a kid had finally got a gateway to escape, and I was there to listen to it. It was a reluctant advantage, because then I don't have to say anything about myself.

Miku had been a librarian all her life. She was an orphan, and was raised by a grandfather that had moved recently. Miku had been taught to stay within a little shell, and leave everything else and other emotions out of it. She loved stories as a little girl, but was beaten every time she fantasized about living with a prince in a faraway castle. All her books were burned by the time she was seven.

However, a few months later Miku had decided to become a librarian, for the town was in great need of it. She was surrounded by books once again, but nothing of fiction and fantasy. Sometimes, old town records or books that were deemed "inappropriate" were sent to her, and she burns them in the incinerator. Nobody visited the library though, until I had came along.

I have to say, something inside of me had lifted when Miku asked me to tell her every tale I knew. I felt like something that had been missing was returned, a nostalgic restoration. I remember the stories I told Len, and channeled them to Miku. The pure fascination and bliss on her face was contagious, apparently.

I've never had a friend besides Len, and at school I was an outcast. My own parents, who are dead now, tend to turn away. But how could a misunderstood teenager be so accepting of me?

_"Because we're both the same."_ I answered my own question. Len accepted me for who I was. I never imagined anyone else...

The stars glinted, like flakes of diamond gleaming through black stone. My hand wandered, eventually settling down on the hand-held mirror Len gave me. The edges were laden with what seemed like pyrite, the handle was even heavier than the glass itself. I let myself get absorbed in my reflection, trying to get a feeling of my identity. Why do girls like spending hours staring at their own reflection? Was it because of society nowadays, and glancing in the mirror would let them remember who they were?

They. I referred to my own kind as "they". No wonder why the people at school avoided me.

"Who am I?" I mumbled. Who was I meant to be, besides an old lady who had killed so many, in the period of a millennium?

Was I more than just a Maker?

My reflection took on a gloomy look. I noticed that the colour of my eyes were a shade lighter than Len's. And to think, before I thought they were the exact same colour. But I watched as they transformed darker and darker, until they reached a navy blue hue. My face had a strange smile plastered in an unsettling fashion. **What is happening**?!

I shook my head, and was astonished to find that the reflection didn't follow me. Instead, it just kept on changing, getting more masculine, more familiar...

Until it became unmistakable.

"K?!" I exclaimed. I could see that his face was coming closer to the glass that separated us. An alabaster arm with slender fingers burst through the mirror with a shower of black sparks. I dropped the mirror, cracking it, but he didn't even blink.

The blue-haired man just grinned, eyes dilating. He pulled half of his body out of the mirror, eyes pinned on me as I moved away. He didn't speak a word as he latched onto my leg, moving up to my dress. He pulled, and I could feel fabric breaking apart, as my center of gravity shifted. I feel onto the roof, face-planting in dewy shingles, and I dug my fingers into them. But the resistance didn't work. K yanked me again, with a power tenfold of my aunt's. I was dragged to the metal circlet, mirror light flooding my vision.

I gripped the golden edge of its tiny circumference. I could feel K pulling on me, as I fought to hold onto the rim of the mirror. I tried to kick, but it caused pain.

"Let go of me!" I shrieked, but my voice went somewhere else. Somewhere far away...

K just snickered, in a way a kid would after playing a nasty prank. "You let go."

"**NO!** I won't let you have me. I'm not going to die because of you!"

"Die? Who said anything about dying?" He questioned.

"Don't play around. I know. I know about the curse, and your intentions. So let go of me!" My fingers were aching, holding the weight of K and I combined.

His eyes went wide as he realized that I knew. Foul words followed.

"Len told you..." He hissed.

"He also told me you name was Kaito."

That set him off, for reasons I cannot fathom. "Don't say that!" K (or Kaito) ordered.

"**Kaitokaitokaitokaitokaitokaitokaito!**" I persisted, even though I knew that he was enraged. I wanted to show him that I wasn't afraid. But what staggered me the most was that each time I said his real name, he became more and more transparent. Knowing all too well that he was fading, K released his grip from my leg, and levitated to my face in pure hate.

"**Shut up!**" With his hand glowing purple, he pointed to my mouth and made a "zip" motion. A purple line complete its course, across my still-talking mouth. I found that my lips were sealed shut, with no visible substance keeping them together. My words did nothing but stay muffled in my mouth.

With this distraction, K found the moment to pry my fingers in one swift motion, causing me to tumble into the bottomless pit of darkness. I couldn't scream, as they came out in stifled squeals from the back of my throat. The last glimpse of light I witnessed was the disintegrating figure of the blue-haired man, weakened from his own name. He disappeared, giving me the death glare.

_"You've won this round, Rin..."_ I could imagine him thinking. But I couldn't just assume that I knew his plans. Maybe he was saving energy for a final attack, one that would destroy me once and for all.

I stuck my hands out, twisting my body so I fell head first. Where were the mirrors, I thought. Where were the brilliant streaks of cerulean light? I shook those questions out. Just imagine you're a bird, gliding across the horizon. Like when you were flying through the sky, with Len.

Len. Where was he?

If I was really the "Maker," would I be able to control the course of Mirror Travel?

_"Take me to Len, please."_

I didn't open my eyes to see if anything responded. I just hoped Miku and Len were alright, even my crazy aunt. What I hoped was that she doesn't go insane and harass the townsfolk, about me running away with a tarnished reputation. She still thinks I killed my parents.

_"Hey, is that a light?"_

The back of my eyelids were an intense red colour, so I opened them. What greeted me was a pool of radiant light, and the emanation of roses. I could hear music, getting louder and louder...

As I fell face-flat in cobblestone. I sneezed once, from the dust that irritated my nose, which was strange if you had your mouth shut tight. I found myself in the cellar again, a blessed trail of music wafting from the distance. Was someone playing the piano?

The mirror, for some uncanny reason, returned to my pocket. There was a spreading crack across the glass, multiplying my reflection by a dozen. I was afraid of K returning to the mirror again, so I broke off a shard and kept it in my pocket. That way, since the mirror is incomplete, nothing will go in or out. Then if I need to use it, I can just replace the piece.

I yanked the trapdoor open, greeted by the dolls. Bathed in a light streaming from the night sky, their smiles looked even more menacing. I couldn't help but quicken my pace, chills shaking me.

_"Len?"_ My mouth was sealed tight, and there was no way for me to get it open. I tried again and again to pry my lips open a crack, but nothing was accomplished. Giving up, I decided to follow the sound of music, which was muffled by the age of the Castle.

I padded across the velvet carpets, letting the tune guide me. Although I didn't recognize it, I found it sweet. It sounded upbeat and cute, like children on Christmas morning. I stole through the broad hallways and stairs, finally coming to a cavernous _ballroom_ I have never seen before.

_"How on earth did I miss this?"_ The thing could be the size of a football field. Dozens of Greek-styled columns connected by arches stood going down in an array, on both sides of the room. The ceiling was gone. Blackness replaced the expanse, places where the light of a humongous crystal chandelier didn't reach.

Awestruck by greatness, I let my eyes wander along the walls of the hall. Although there were patternless, I could imagine stories drawing themselves out like pencils on paper. Looking up, I spied oriental carvings on the arches of the column. The orange glow of the lighting transformed the floor into a red hue. Upon walking to the centre, I could see a huge clock engraved into the marble. The hands showed that it was midnight. But the time could be anything, because it appeared to be frozen.

The only other object in the room was a grand piano, one where the music was coming from. As I ducked behind one of the columns on the far side of the ballroom, I saw that the figure playing the song was Len. His fingers traveled across the keys, body moving with the momentum, and his face was peaceful.

But Len must have realized that someone was watching him. Instantly, the music stopped. He rose from the piano bench, listening carefully. When hearing nothing, he just disappeared.

_"He's probably looking for me..."_ I breathed. I slowly emerged from the column, moving about.

Just then, the main light went out. I jumped, a shriek suppressed by my mouth. My eyes darted to find that the clock on the polished floor was glowing a light of its own.

Two hands grasped my shoulders.

I jumped back in fear, turning around I could see Len's smiling face. His eyes glowing like a cat's. "What brings you here?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't, and just made feeble gestures with my hands.

"Rin?"

I pointed to my mouth, making clawing motions to tell him that it was silenced. Realization flooded his face, and he advanced closer to me.

_"What are you doing?"_ But there was nothing on his face to give away the answer. There was a strange enigma in the way he walked closer to me, streaked with shadows.

_"What are you-"_

His face loomed in front of mine, too close for comfort. As he leaned in slowly, I suddenly knew his intentions...

Pushing his head away, I flipped my head around, dashing to the opposite direction. What the heck? Why was he trying to...to _kiss_ me?

"Hey! Wait-"

I was panicking for some reason, my heart running marathons. There was something about being in a huge room with minimal lighting, with him coming so close like that.

I hid behind a pillar, spying on him. My nostrils hurt from breathing through them too hard.

Len looked distraught, trying to find me. Then he vanished again, to who knows where. I scanned the area, my field of sight not very good.

"**Boo!**"

From behind me, a normally soft voice was echoed in a hollow manner. I scampered, nearly tripping as I ran to another column, then another. And then another.

Across the room, Len strolled down the hall, looking behind one of the pillars. I noticed that he didn't leave a shadow. I took this chance to flee to a different hiding spot. My clothes stuck to my skin with sweat. How long was this going to last?

_"Did he see me?"_ With the freezing marble under my back, I turned my head slowly to check on the blonde. He was gone.

My senses didn't have an opportunity to react. With a flash of yellow and a whimsical breeze, he appeared before me. Len's fingers tightened around my arms as he continued to pin me against the pillar. I couldn't struggle, as I caught sight of his eyes sparkling under his hat. The gap between us instantly closed as his lips touched mine, causing me to shoot my eyes open. I could see that his face had shades of pink tinting his pale cheeks.

The contact lasted for two seconds. He gently released his hold on me, as I escaped his touch and backed away. Len looked at me nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened, as I started rebuking him.

"W-what the hell was that about?! **Are you out of your mind?!**"

He just smiled.

"What are you smiling about, you creepy rascal? Why don't you give me an answer?!"

My hands flew to my lips, as I noticed what had just happened. I was speaking! I was yelling at him, but I was able to speak again because of what he did.

The cool gaze never left his face as he filled in the moment of realization for me.

"You should stop doing that...running away, I mean."

I wiped my mouth vigorously, as if doing that would help me rid of the impending presence of his lips.

"You were acting odd. That was just really...weird."

He nodded. "I know that spell. I've done it myself, and the only way to break it is with a kiss. Or to take a page of a book, give yourself a paper cut, and then wipe the blood onto your lips." He shrugged. "I'm sure you know why I went with the quicker, cleaner way."

"But a kiss...is so _intimate_. I wouldn't mind if I had to cut myself, to be honest." Still, I had to agree with him.

"You say the strangest things, Rin."

"And maybe if you had explained to me what you intended on doing, I would've cooperated. It was so sudden, you know."

He smirked, crossing his arms playfully. "But it wouldn't be as fun now wouldn't it? So, what happened? Who did that to you?"

I hesitated. "K..."

"K-?! Why-"

"He was in the mirror that you gave me. K pulled me in, and disappeared after I repeated his name. But before that, he preformed the spell on me."

"The mirror? Crap, it's all my-"

"No! It's fine. It was an good idea to give me it anyways." I shut him up. "I don't think he'll be coming back soon. I took a shard out, so it won't be complete unless I need it." I pulled both objects from my dress, showing it to him.

"Smart." He mused, examining it. "But this is bad. Really bad. I have to keep you in my sight, in case you get hunted down again."

"W-what about Miku?"

"As long as she doesn't interfere with anything regarding our situation, she should be fine. Just try not to reveal to much, or else her life may be at stake."

"Okay."

Somber silence followed as we thought through the possibilities. Len was levitating a few centimeters from the ground.

"About Miku..." I ventured. "She's in love with you."

He smiled softly. "Yeah..."

"So do you like her back?"

He started walking, as he considered this. "I...I can't say. I mean, Miku is really sweet, and sensitive. She is also pretty, I admit. But I just don't think of her that way. You know, we just met. Even if I thought otherwise, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Rin, I'm dead. And she's alive."

I nodded, listening carefully. "I see your point. I'm alive, too."

"Well, you're different. You're my babysitter."

But was that a good or bad thing? Did I mean more to him than a former caretaker?

"And all the stories you told me... excluding the one about the old lady and her nephew...depicted love as a fault or boundary. I never fantasized about falling in love. Because whatever falls...-"

"-gets broken." I finished.

Walking alongside of each other, the two of us reached the piano. He beamed at me and then took a seat. I thought he would pick up from where he had left off, but he played an entirely different piece. Len's fingers ran like the river across the keys, the complicated scales reverberating from the heart of the piano. It was a depressing, yet haunting tune. It kind of reminded me of Melancholia.

With a smile, I sat down at the bench with him. He scooted over to make room for me, giving me an encouraging look to start playing.

When was the last time I played an instrument? What if I fumble with the fingering, or mess up the song? Or what if I just completely forget how to play the piano itself?

I placed my hands onto the milky white keys, and let them fly. Soon, I started touching the black ones as well. My eyes couldn't believe my fingers as the buried, musical me took over. I felt like I was given life, after the songs I loved lay dormant for a number of years.

The song kept on repeating in a loop as my hands played them. What was its name? I remember there were two parts to it. Was it a duet? Something was missing...

Len cocked his head, and picked up from the higher end of the piano. He added the harmony, as I played the chords. Together, the two parts blended like chocolate sauce on ice cream. It sounded...what's the word? Perfect?

Yeah. It was perfect.

I stopped the song just so I could give him a quick hug. He laughed and hugged me back with one arm.

"You never seemed like the affectionate type." He remarked sardonically.

I just flicked his forehead, hiding a smile. "And you never seemed like the musical type either."

"Hey...I just recognized the song you were playing. And I joined in. If you remember, it was a duet. You just looked...lonely as you played it."

"Do you remember the song's name?" I asked.

"No...some facts just never stay with me. Nothing ever stays..."

My heart ached as I remember that Len himself will be gone. On his anniversary, he is going to move on into...heaven? Although it was a hazy future, at least he would be somewhere much better than this Earth and the Spirit world.

I turned on the bench, looking into the spacious ballroom. To think, that generations ago, you would see pairs and pairs of well-dressed couples waltzing across this very floor. The lights would be generous, there will be food lining the tables, and a confident young man would play the tunes the crowds would dance along to. There used to be parties, excitement, and romance in this resonant chamber. Now, there is nothing.

"Do you dance, Len?"

His expression was curious, but he answered gently. "Yeah. In this room, by myself. Just to remind myself the pleasures of being a human."

I laid a hand on his shoulder, in case that subject saddened him. "With no music?"

Len smiled, the edges of his bandage crinkling. "No. The dolls offer to play the music for me. They can be talented, if you treat them the right way."

With a swipe of his arm, Len revealed a doll he had retrieved somehow, from the sleeve of his coat. "Remember this one?"

It was a lean man with chestnut-brown hair, and rectangular glasses. "The Pianist..." I recalled.

Len nodded in confirmation. The petite doll was placed onto the piano bench, in between us. He then brought out another doll with button eyes, a lady with wavy pink hair down her back. A small string instrument had been sewn onto her hand. The Violinist.

"Can you play a song, please?" He addressed them both politely, after setting the Violinist onto the bare music stand.

The Pianist turned his head to Len, his black button eyes blinking sleepily. Then he lifted both of his fingerless arms in a professional manner, slamming them comically on the keys. Even though it was physically impossible for the tiny body to play more than one scale, in addition its mitten-like hands, a melody flowed out effortlessly. The Violinist joined in on his composition, letting the forlorn wails entwine with the song. As I tried to make sense of the absurdity, the name of the song came to me.

"_Proof of Life_..." I whispered.

"I hope this song...would prove to you that I'm here, somewhere inside of you. Something to say that I have lived."

Len brought out the black rose from under his hat, the one he had stolen in the first place, and tucked it into my hair. He offered his hand, smiling.

"M-may I have this dance, Rin?" He requested, his face brimming with innocence.

"I-I-I..." I stuttered. Where was this going? I touched the petals of the flower in my hair, unsure of how to answer. I've danced alone, in the flames of death, to a tune no one else could hear. But with someone else...especially a boy?

"...Okay."

He grinned, and we ran into he middle of the ballroom. The clock started ticking...

* * *

**Fast forward: Two weeks later**

**Len's POV:**

I know you may not expect this from someone like me. Of all the people in the world, how could a spirit possibly talk about happiness?

But I know. Happiness, joy, and bliss all come from the same place: The things and hobbies you adore. The people that hold your love.

But for me, happiness was Rin. Although I never told her, I was positive Rin would know. It was all I had left.

Once I retreat from this world, it will all be gone. I would be empty-handed once again. But being with her lets me cherish those moments, letting my mind let go of the fact that I'll lose her. No matter how alive I feel sometimes, deep inside I'll always know that I'm nothing.

For almost two weeks already, Rin visited me at nighttime. She and Miku would spend the entire day together at the library, scrutinizing books and just being girls. When darkness falls, Rin would sneak out with the mirror, and meet me at the Castle. I would be waiting in the mirror, just so that Oliver wouldn't become suspicious.

And oh, the things that we would do! Sometimes in the daytime, she would bring Miku with her. From here, we talked about the curse and possible leads. Miku would explore the Doll Room and I would tutor Rin on her powers. Yes, the Original Maker had passed on supernatural abilities to her, some which may be useful if ever in combat. After spending some time observing her skills, I decided it would be best to help her develop them it there is ever danger.

First, there was mental communication with inanimate figurines. In this case, the dolls. I taught her how to project her thoughts more efficiently to them, and the concept of blocking out some messages sent to her. That way, in case the dolls ever hurl insults at her, she would be capable of closing off the connection to concentrate on reality. Even though she could effectively "speak" with them, Rin isn't able to apply those abilities to Miku and I. Human telepathy has yet to develop.

Then there was spontaneous combustion. Rin could make anything light up in flames to her will, including herself. When she had first discovered the ability, I had to stop her from becoming crazed with the fire. Great idea, giving fire-starting powers to a person obsessed with them.

But I understood her point of view. Because of this, I attempted to smother out her love of fire. I have spend hours alone holding a lit match in front of her tense face, extinguishing it whenever she made a grab or praising her when she didn't. Many times I got the look of pure insanity as she tried to fight me, to touch it. But never have I given up on her.

And my efforts became notable. Slowly but surely, I could see the passion fade from her face. It was slightly saddening, watching such life disappear from her eyes as she laid them on the thing she loved the most. However, it was for the best. To my pleasure, she was able to light a match and stare at it without batting an eyelash.

"It feels so normal...but will it last?" She had questioned.

With her relationship with fire under control, we proceeded on to spontaneous combustion. So far, the only things that Rin had ignited were the handkerchiefs and leaves I allowed her practice on. I didn't want her to use this skill frequently, just for the sake of safety.

During these sessions, it was like being a teacher to a student. But at night, however, it was different. Like the first day she found me, we played hide and seek throughout the Castle. She got to know it like she lived there, and that was something we shared. We would slide down the banisters like we owned them, gaze at the stars, and talk about life. Anything besides the curse, for that matter.

And every night, since that day, we would dance in the ballroom. I enjoyed ever second of it, because there was definitely more to it when you're with another person. I never understood why people loved to dance, and it was only until now that I got to understand it, with Rin. Before, it was just a series of jumps and twirls, but together they completed each other. Maybe I'll try slow dancing with her next...just so we could get a chance to focus on one another.

Was I in love with her? I should know, being powered by it and everything. How could I comprehend someone else's feelings if I didn't even know my own? After each dance, I feel something different. Though I couldn't decipher it, I knew Rin was feeling it too.

For now, I'm just going to say it's expectancy of the curse. We know it's going to happen. K is going to strike again, and something huge is coming.

However, was it too much to ask that as long as she's here, I want to be there with her? I may never get my answer, but I yearned to be happy. And my wish was granted, just by being with Rin and Miku.

But things were going to change. They always do.

* * *

**a/n: Len's my favourite character to POV, right in between Miku and Rin. The things he says are depressing, but he never stops smiling~ ;_;**

**I was listening to "Can't I Even Dream" by Miku, when typing the scene where Rin and Len were playing the piano. So I guess you can say that was the song they were playing, and its tune suits the setting too :3 ^.^**

**Proof of Life is a song by Rin, a counterpart to Soundless Voice. They're both by Hitoshizuku-P and the lyrics are true tearjerkers. All of these songs are popular on Youtube, so go search them up if you like~ :]**

**If you can guess who the Pianist, Violinist and Y are based off of, you deserve a cookie! (I'm sorry Teto's dead) It's probably obvious anyways.**

**Thanks for reading! xoxo**


	11. Trouble

**a/n: Finally able to update! I'm getting back to the flashback thingy. Thanks for the support! *heart* :D Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Rin and Miku and Len and Kaito and the songs don't belong to me. Rin's aunt does, though... xD**

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

_"I want you to meet someone, Rin."_

_I looked up into the eyes of my mom. Pushing my back gently with her hand, she led me into the backyard._

_My steps were reluctant. Why now? I'm no good with children, and I have no idea who this kid is. The sun blinded my eyes as she pulled the glass sliding door open._

_Outside in the grassy space enclosed with a fence, sat a boy and his mother, on folding chairs. My father was also with them, talking to the mom. She was a pretty thing, probably a fashion model, with shining eyes and luxurious hair. And the way she laughed was so sweet, I wanted to slap her in the face. Yeah, that was how sweet it was._

_But the boy seemed the complete opposite of his mother. Sure, he shared her looks, but I have never seen a child as sad as him. He averted his gaze from the two adults, staring at the ground as if he would eventually burn it. A glass of lemonade sat close by, for he had not touched it. He seemed lost in his own mental state, or maybe in depression. As my Mom and I entered the backyard, the boy looked up at me, and then looked down in submission. Or maybe even fear?_

_"Hi! It's nice to meet you!" My mom greeted. The lady got up from her seat, placing her glass on the table, and shook my mother's hand._

_"The pleasure is all mine! You must be Mrs. Kagamine, correct?" My mom nodded. "How amusing it is, that we share the same last name!"_

_"Agreed! The other ladies thought our families were related. I've never known Kagamine was such a popular surname."_

_I didn't join in on the conversation. Instead, I just listened to the two women blather and checked out the boy. He was staring at me, in a strange manner, as if examining my thoughts. I just hugged my arms and looked away._

_"And this is my daughter, Rin. Rin, say hello."_

_"Hi."_

_The other Mrs. Kagamine smiled, and patted my shoulder. I couldn't help but stare at her facial structure, for it looked like something out of a cosmetics magazine. The summer sun made the highlights in her hair stand out, and they looked like they were glowing._

_"Why hello, dear. How do you do?" Before I could even think about answering, she continued. "It's so nice that you've agreed on helping look after Len, here. It's just that with media these days, I'm always on the roll. Len shouldn't be a trouble, he's a very quiet child. Just to let you know, his father had passed away recently, so that subject is a sore spot for him."_

_I nodded, smiling faintly. I glanced over at Len, who sat crossed-legged in the chair, fingering a leaf that held some sort of bug. He looked at me, blinked, and looked away. The boy couldn't be more than six, but he seemed so calm._

_"He seems nice." I said simply, trying to avoid deep conversation._

_The Other Mrs. Kagamine grinned, and retreated back to talking with my parents about general things. Then they decided to go back inside, to the air-conditioned house._

_"I'll leave you two outside, just to get to know each other. Your working times and instructions will be on the kitchen counter if you need them. Have fun!" My Mom, Dad, and the Other Kagamine entered the house. And I was left with Len._

_He stared at me, and I stared at him. I sighed, and made my way towards him._

_I crouched down so he could face me. "You must be Len. My name is Rin, and I'll be looking after you when your mother is working."_

_He looked at me, studying my features. "You look like my mom." He remarked._

_I laughed nervously, slightly doubting his statement. "Well, I'll be sort of like a mom to you. Just when she's not around." I paused. So far, so good. "Where do you live?"_

_Len turned his head, and then pointed to a random direction. "That house. The one with the yellow roof."_

_I followed his finger. "That's really close. So we're like neighbours, then." He nodded in reply, absorbed more in his surroundings than to me._

_"What do you like to do?" I tried asking. Then my eyes moved downwards, catching sight of a brown lump sticking out under the chair. I reached for it, pulling out a teddy bear._

_"Hey!" He grabbed it, tugging surprisingly hard. My reaction was not fast enough, so I let go too late. The bear came apart in my hands, a spine-tingling RIP, with me gripping the other half. Oh no..._

_What have I done?_

_"Len! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" I apologized. The stuffed animal had fluff coming out of the place where it had ripped in two. It was the first time I met this kid, and I destroyed his stuffed animal. How stupid can I be?!_

_"It's fine." Unlike other children, instead of crying, he just hugged the broken pieces. His face showed that he was holding back his tears. He sat up from his chair, and walked towards the house without regarding me._

_Guilt and anger at myself was burning up inside. I wasn't letting him get away, without fixing my mistake first._

_"Wait, Len!"_

_He stopped mid-step, and turned._

_"Can I see your bear? I might be able to fix it." It's possible, I thought. Without a needle or thread._

_He gave me a dubious look, but gave it over. I placed my hands across the width of it's belly, letting my energy channel through to the wound. Come on, think! Focus on the bear, focus on the feeling being transferred to it..._

_Len gasped._

_I opened my eyes, suddenly aware of the sweat rolling down the side of my head. The teddy bear was restored. There was absolutely no evidence of any damage being done to it, ever._

_I have no idea how long that ability has been with me, but I was afraid of using it. The last person I had showed it was to my best friend, who had ran away in fear that I was a "witch." I had kept this a secret, until now._

_Giving a soft smile, I placed the teddy bear in Len's small hands. He clutched it, his eyes bewildered, and at first thought I was convinced that he was fearful of me._

_But instead, he smiled. For the first time, he grinned up at me and I could see the resemblance he shared with his mother. There was no hate, no apprehension in his azure eyes._

_"You're a miracle, Rin. A miracle."_

* * *

_A miracle..._

I jerked up from my sleeping bag, panting. As the flashback remained hazy in my head, I was aware of the sound of sirens, in the distance.

"Miku! Get up!" I turned over, kicking away the blankets. I grabbed the sleeping tealette's shoulder and rocked her as fast as I could.

"Hey..hey...what's going on?!"

As Miku became accustomed to her surroundings, the sirens came to her. She screamed and leapt over the receptionist's desk, tripping on her way to the windows. Red and blue lights danced across her face.

"The Police! The Police are coming!" She pulled the curtains shut, panicking.

"How far are they now?"

Miku stole a glance through the crack of two pieces of cloth. "Not too far. Probably outside the mayor's house. What do we do?!"

I breathed in and out, trying to steady my beating heart. "I-I'm not sure. We don't know why they're here, right?"

Miku scurried next to me. "Today's paper! Quick, check the paper!"

I rolled over and threw sheets of papers off of the desk, hunting for the piece of newsprint. I finally uncovered it, scanning the front page. Nothing important.

But as I opened to the second, I could see that the investigation of the Kagamine murder was still going on. And now there was a witness who provided pictures of a certain someone at the crime scene. I flipped the oversized pages, fervently. Until I came to a picture of myself, running through the flames.

What?!

"Kagamine Rin, the convicted arsonist. Will be held up for questioning." The caption underneath said. "Photo sourced from unnamed witness."

How could that be me? I was here all along! There was no way I could be in that photo. I looked at the face on the newspaper. Black dress, white bow, blond hair. Just the eyes were covered.

Miku was reading over my shoulder, the entire time. She stared at me, disbelievingly. "Rin, y-you-"

"NO! It's not me, I swear. I was with you and Len when this happened! How can this prove anything?" I slapped the paper onto the ground, tears streaming from my eyes. How could this be true? It wasn't rational!

Miku said softly. "Then you better stay for questioning. You can tell the officers what happened. Hopefully, they'll trust you..."

"No." I said, sternly. "They won't believe me. They never will." I stared at the photo, my mind running marathons. This isn't true. I'm innocent, I didn't set the fire! It just wasn't possible.

But then a dark thought hit me. What if it **was** me? Maybe my insanity had overtaken me, and somehow I traveled to my parent's house at dawn, and lit the fire. Maybe my body won't listen to me anymore. It could be true, and I just don't remember it...

"I have to escape. As long as you don't tell them anything, Miku, you should be fine. You have nothing to do with this, and they will know you're innocent. They're looking for me."

Miku nodded. "The Policemen are not here yet, but they'll investigate the library eventually. Just go. I'll stay here and lead them off."

I couldn't see her through the blur of my eyes, but I knew she meant what she said. "Thank you...Miku."

"No problem." She looked at the window again, a shaft of light entering the room as she did so. "Crud! I was wrong. They're coming here any minute. Hurry!" Miku pushed me into the Incinerator room, and I held my mirror.

As I inserted the shard and touched the glass, a portal opened up on my command. But just before entered, I turned to face Miku. "Do you want me to-"

"-It's fine. Just get out of here, to somewhere safe. Maybe the Castle. Or wherever! Please, hurry!" The second she finished her sentence, thunderous knocking was heard at the front door.

"It's the Police! Open up!"

We shared one last look, and went our ways.

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

"Don't scream, Miku. Calm down. Just act innocent..." The thing is, I was ANYTHING but calm at the moment. We never had police stations in Melancholia, because nothing ever happens! And now policemen and coming here, driving to this drabby town in the middle of nowhere? Just to find Rin?

Rin must have done horrible things in the past. But I trust her, for she is my friend. I just hope everything turns out okay.

_"Rin was in the paper..."_ I pondered. What if she was lying to me? Maybe she did light the house. It could be possible, considering her state of mind. And was I...helping her escape from the law?

"No, stop. Just focus on your task." I bolted down the hall, panting along the way. Finally, I reached the main door and pulled it open. The hollow faces of the policemen towered above me, their expressions as hard as the batons in their hands. I instantly felt tiny.

"Hello?" My voice came out slightly hoarse, from intimidation. However, I cleared my throat to show that I wasn't afraid. "How can I help you?"

The first officer in the front, one with a huge mustache, moved past the others. He disposed a document with Rin's photo on it, in front of my nose. "Have you seen this youth?" He questioned.

The other men glared at me, their faces showing not a single speck of sympathy. I took a breath, answering. "No, sir."

The captain turned around and spoke some hushed words to his officers, who nodded. "We'd like to search your building for any clues. Please step aside."

My face was bleached with white. Once they do tests for fingerprints in the room, they're bound to find Rin's. "Y-y-you can't..."

The men shot daggers at me with their icy eyes. Their leader sighed, and brought out a silver badge. "I'm afraid you can't tell us what to do, ma'am. We're with the government here, and this girl is extremely dangerous. Now do as you're told, or we will inflict consequences."

I sank a little more into the ground. "Y-yes, officer."

With that, they trailed in. I counted at least five bulky men enter the library, splitting up. Their captain gave orders, and they all started searching my library.

I inched closer to the receptionist's desk, trying to cover up the newspapers and the spot where Rin and I slept. I was well aware that this wasn't a good idea, because with their heightened senses and eyes for suspicious activity, I may just be caught. Thankfully, none of that happened.

"Hey!"

Dammit.

"Excuse me? I was just changing places." I threw in a simple excuse in haste. The officer that called on me growled under his breath, and sent two men to hold me by the arms, in case I tried to escape. At least there were less people searching the building. They looked in the storage, the Incinerator, everything. Even the bathrooms, like I would hide a body or something in there.

Finally, they looked over the space behind the desk, but came out with nothing. I was relieved, for Rin must have covered the papers with the blankets at the last minute. Smart girl. However, it will not hold them off for long.

"What's your name?"

"M."

They didn't seem surprised at my statement. That probably means I wasn't the first person they interviewed.

"How long does your business run till?" They inquired.

"From 8:30 am to 10:00 pm at night." I answered. "6 pm on Thursdays."

Beside me, one guy was recording down everything I said on a notepad. What the heck? As if the time the library closes would have something to do with Rin.

"Then answer me this...if your library closes at ten, then how were you able to answer the door for us? So far, there hasn't been any individuals spending the night at their workplaces. What makes you do so? And at such a young age?"

I already knew the answer, but his question set me off. "I want to, okay? That way, I won't have to return home."

"Your town is so small. How is transportation an issue?"

"It's not. I don't have a family, are you happy now?" Sheesh, I thought.

He regarded me with his slitted eyes. There was so much doubt on his face that I could even see it in his freaky mustache.

"Officer, she's telling the truth. We spotted two sleeping bags behind the main desk. She must have slept there."

The burly man turned to his comrades, and then to the desk. He could see the evidence on the ground, but unlike the others, he got suspicious.

"Why are there TWO sleeping bags? Does someone else spend the night with you?"

My heart lept into my throat, beating so fast that I was surprised that my words came out. "No sir."

"Explain this, then."

"I have an imaginary friend. She had been with me ever since I was young, and I have the habit pretending she is ACTUALLY there. So I sometimes put out another sleeping bag for her." That was a complete lie, but if I seem like a dreamy, stupid kind of person, they just might leave me alone.

Again, the officers gave me strange looks. Whatever impression my act had left on them was hidden. "You're a strange one. Everyone is gloomy and deadpan. Why are you different? You don't even have a mask on."

Shoot. I should've known that the way I acted completely contrasted against the others that lived here. Rin would've never made that mistake.

"I-I have moved here r-recently, having yet to understand this town's strange customs. And I don't sleep with a mask, for your information. I just happened to forget. Here-" From a shelf in the alcove, I picked up the dreaded thing I was forced to wear for sixteen years. I waved it in front of them, making sure they didn't see the dust collecting on it.

Again, they were silent, just studying me with their faces. The guy kept writing things down, even when I'm not speaking.

"Well then." The chieftain finally mumbled. "We're done here. This citizen has nothing to hide, and further investigations will be held later on. Have a good night." The Policeman filed out of the building, and I let out a long breath of relief.

"Wait!"

All heads turned to the speaker of the voice. Outside, coming from the back of the library, came a blue-haired man, who seemed surprisingly familiar. His mask was hanging around his neck, eyes shining. It took me awhile to figure out who he was, but as he turned to stare _directly_ at me, his face surfaced. It was the guy who was with Rin, the first time I met her! Were they in an alliance, somehow? I remember asking Rin about the guy, but she avoided the topic. In what ways were they related? This time, he had a fleece jacket pulled over his black tee, even though the weather was humid.

"I'd like settle this, if you don't mind." He stepped into the library, smiling at me. Even though it looked like a greeting, it chilled me to the bone at the same time.

"Who are you? State your business." The Policemen intercepted.

"Now, no need to get heated up. I'm just a local citizen who visits the library occasionally. I just came here to check on my favourite librarian." He looked over at me, and grinned. "We sometimes camp in the library, just for the sake of fun. Right, M?"

What on earth was he talking about? I have nothing to do with him! But then that nonsense will suffice as an explanation of why there was a second sleeping bag. "Erm..."

_How did he know my name?!_

"She's sensitive on that subject. Anyways, I heard there was a wanted criminal in town. I just wanted to make sure my friend was alright...

...At least, that was what I was trying to do before I found out about what you did, M. And I have to say I was appalled."

"What? What are you talking about?!" I finally had my chance to speak. "I don't-"

"Shush. I heard that you were giving the criminal a place to take shelter, right? And I thought you were my friend."

I couldn't believe my ears. "No! I wasn't! He is lying! I'm inno-"

"**QUIET!**" The Policemen finally broke through. "You have five minutes to tell us what's going on!"

The blue-haired stranger didn't say a word. He just walked over to a spot on the wooden floor, bending over. What was he doing?

But when he retreated back up in sight, I could see what he was holding between his fingers: The petal of a black rose.

Oh no...

"I don't have five minutes. I'll show you right now!"

With that, he blew the petal across the room, making it land in front of the door way. Then, in vertical shafts of light, footprints started emerging from the ground in a ripple effect. Glowing in a shade of orange, they were an unmistakably Rin's.

Everyone in the room gasped. This man clearly wasn't normal, and maybe a hundred times more dangerous...

"The criminals footprints are outlined, right here." He followed their circles, all routes Rin had walked before. They ended at the desk, and he threw the blankets in a flurry. What was revealed was the newspaper, with detailing information about the convict. How...how on Earth?

"So you did know about this..." He shook the paper teasingly. Then the man regarded the officers, with the same look. "This librarian here is acquainted with Kagamine Rin. I'll leave her in your hands..." He snapped his fingers, disappearing like a shadow turning off the lights.

The Policemen looked at me. I looked back. All eyes were wide in fear and pure shock. Then the first man recovered from his trance, followed by his comrades. "Arrest her!"

By then, I've already started running. I didn't get far though, as indestructible arms clamped around mine, twisting them from behind my back. I started the scream, but soon a rag was tied around my mouth. I have to get out! I can't just let him get away. Rin needs to be warned...before it's too late.

"You have the right to remain silent." Someone ordered. What type of question was that? What is there to say?

Why would I yell for help, when help was miles away?

_"I hope you know what you're doing, Rin..."_ I thought, as they took me closer towards the blue and red light.

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

"**LEN!**"

I stumbled through the Castle, looking around desperately for him. Where could he be?! How is he gone, in a time like this...?

"No more games, Len. Come out! Please!"

I checked the rooms feverishly as I spoke those words. Shouldn't I know where he would be?_ "Think Rin, think..."_

Finally, I went into the Doll Room, deciding to check the mirror again.

"Len!" I threw the door open.

What I saw nearly caused my heart to fail. The mirror was acting all up, with a black entity in the shape of a small (yet powerful) figure extending from the mirror's surface. And what scared me the most was that the spirit had its spindly hands on Len's lower body, dragging him into the mirror. Everyone in the room was covered in blood.

"Rin! Help, Oliver-"

I grabbed his arms, pulling him towards me. However, the monstrous being just pulled harder, painfully human shrieks filling the entire room. I've had so many tug-of-wars, and I wasn't going to loose this one.

It must be painful for Len, as he was pulled between the creature and me. But he didn't make a sound, besides urging me to keep pulling.

Veins of magical energy was rising through the figure's arms. With a ferocious yank, and a spine-tingling scream, Len's body ripped apart.

Instead of blood, there was cotton. And as cotton flew everywhere, I've never been so afraid of such innocent things.

"**LEN!**"

A malicious hatred rose in my chest. With an inhuman scream, I jumped towards the figure, kicking it in the face.

Surprisingly, it reacted with a child's cry. The creature recoiled, and I grabbed the lower half of his body. As I dragged both parts of Len, I lit the Doll Room on fire with my mind. The cotton made the flames spread fast.

The closest room from there was the ballroom. Ever though there was too much open space, it would have to do.

"Rin...is that you?"

"Shush..." I laid him onto the polished dance floor, which took much work. This wasn't good. He had cotton bulging out from different places, and his good eye was also damaged.

"Please hang in there, I can heal you..." I restored that teddy bear years ago, right? I can always do it again.

"H-he..struck me so quickly...didn't have time to react...blindness..." He groaned in pain as I laid a hand on the place where the two halves met. I tried not to think about how fleecy it felt, the massive amounts of cotton replacing blood.

"Hold still. Let me just..."

True to my word, once I opened my eyes, his body was rejoined. I laid my hand across his eyes, letting whatever energy I have to restore those. For some reason, I can only heal the one that was destroyed recently. As I have tried in the past, the one taken out by K had left its own effects: It cannot be healed.

"Rin...you're a..."

But before he could finish his sentence, I collapsed. Using that ability had always taken so much out of me, especially with a wound this big.

When I had first met him, Len was able to heal people too. But that ability a limit of only three uses, being able to completely revive someone from death. Since we were down to the last one, it is to kept for more important uses.

Putting my arm around his neck, he started walking me towards the exit. "You can't stay here for very long. It's dangerous."

I had to gasp, to keep up with my words. "W-was that Oliver...?" I recalled his screams, equivalent to a human boy's.

"The monster? No. But it was because of **him** that the creature attacked. If I were to give the curse away to anybody, especially you, then I would be punished." He stopped, to glare at the ground. "If K didn't report me, then I would still be fine. With you around, it stops Oliver from reading my thoughts."

I regained my balance, walking by myself. "We have to...get out. The Doll Room's on fire..."

"It wont keep him in for long. Oliver had a killing spree, trying to rip me apart. He slaughtered shelves and shelves of dolls before getting to me." That explained the bloodshed in the room.

We started running, down the winding hallways to navigate this labyrinth. Len was limping. "What does he do to punish someone?"

Len grew silent. "Even worse than being torn apart, he will send you to the Workshop. It's where all the souls he had punished get executed and reconstructed into monsters, with no memories of their past..." He closed his eyes. "That black thing in the mirror was one of them. Worst fate a doll can get."

"Then we have to get YOU out of here." I tightened my hold on his sleeve, making him run faster. I didn't dare think about Len being a soulless monster, rampaging under Oliver's commands.

But just as we reached the front door, we had another surprise waiting for us.

"Hey there." A certain blue haired man greeted. In his hand was a lock of turquoise hair. Len gasped.

Oh no...

"**WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MIKU?!**" I stormed right up against him, and forcefully pushed his chest. "**WHERE IS** **SHE? ANSWER!**"

I felt indescribable rage at Kaito, upon seeing Miku's hair in his evil fingers. But what I didn't see was that carefully concealed at the side of his body, there was an unmistakable lodge of a human weapon.

A weapon I had no idea where he got a hold of.

Kaito aimed the gun low enough so I could see his smile, and pulled the trigger. A blast rang out, even louder than the pain that hit my stomach. Like a comet reaching its destination.

The last thing I heard before I was enveloped in darkness was Len's voice, Kaito's getaway, and Oliver's laugh.

* * *

**a/n: Nooo Rinny I'm so sorry forgive me.. ;_; Upon reading through this fic all over again, I realize how confusing the story can be... c: And it was even more complex in my head. So if you have questions, pls let me know! I'll try not to give spoilers~ **

**Maybe giving chapter summaries would help? Idk. I'll experiment.**

**CS: So basically the police are notified that Rin's the arsonist, and are looking for her. She finds her picture on the newspaper, although she never remembered being there. The police investigates Miku's library before K frames her. So now Miku's arrested and Rin finds out about the Workshop, and she gets shot by K (!). To be continued...**


	12. The Purple-Haired Man

**a/n: I feel so stupid for not wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Happy belated Thanksgiving! Oh well. I'm just thankful I have you guys. I would much rather have people who continuously give support than a bunch of reviews. So I'm going to say thank you to Porky, for being both! :DDD Heh. **

**I also have another character, and the chapter title is a dead giveaway~ :3**

**I know Len was hit by that truck, but there was also something else in the hours afterward, something which Rin keeps constantly saying was her fault. So I'll start this off with how Rin had killed Len...**

**BUM BUM BUM!**

* * *

_"Must find Len. Must find Len."_

_I was covered in bandages, and a cast. My hand bled where I had ripped the IV drip out._

_I limped painfully but quickly down the hospital, looking for the numbers that will mark his room._

_"211, 212, 213.."_

_Voices echoed from the hall, belonging to the doctors that had noticed my escape and gave chase._

_I turned at the corner, and then sharply dodging into another hallway to the left. The doctors continued forward, not seeing me as I hid close by. When I was certain that the footsteps were now gone, I retraced my steps and ran for Len's room. All this was done limping, pain shooting up every muscle and bone that held up my thin body._

_The accident yesterday had really disfigured me. Turns out I had a minor spine injury, a severe concussion, and three quarters of my ribs and pelvis had been damaged. My thigh wasn't good as well. My right arm was completely shattered, but it was OK I was left handed anyways._

_But he was much worse. I took the injuries concerning my bones and muscles, but Len's brain had severe nerve damage from the blow in the head. He was in coma, and they didn't expect him to live. Which was why I wanted to go see him as soon as possible._

_Also, didn't I say I won't let it take him without going through me first?_

_"224, 225, 226, 227..." I counted, breathless._

_227._

_I pushed open the door with my one good arm, bursting into a dim room, with beeping machinery everywhere. It terrified me, as I saw all the tubes through his body, and the breathing mask. The screen on the machine measuring his heart rate showed that he was struggling to survive._

_"Len." I sighed, caressing his cheek._

_Then the strangest feeling came over me._

_Something...something so horrible entered my body. It felt like it had a separate entity, slowly consuming me as I tried to fight it._

_I was dazed. However, my mission was more important than my life, so I shook it off. The doctors would be on their way soon._

_The bed stirred. The machine started beeping louder as a pulse was detected..._

_My heart lept in my throat._

_"...R-Rin...?" A pale figure opened his eyes halfway, still struggling to catch his breath._

_"LEN!"_

_I nearly screamed with joy as I ran towards him, with my arms open. Thank God, thank God that he's alive!_

_"Len!"_

_"EEEEEEE!" He shrieked._

_I was so confused. "It's me, Len. I'm so glad you're alive! We both nearly died..."_

_Len sprang up in bed, at a speed so quick that I was to concerned for his health. His eyes widened, he was shivering, curling away from me. "Get away!"_

_What?_

_A single tear crawled down my cheek. I didn't bother wiping it._

_"It's me! It's Rinny!" I reached out to touch him, the trembling six-year-old huddled against the wall. He stared at my hand, terror written on his face, and immediately backed away from it. His eyes were going crazy, showing me a kind of fear so intense that my heart ripped in two. He scrambled away, panting._

_"Get away! Please! Leave me alone..."_

_"What's wrong? What are you so scared about?" It took all my strength to keep my voice from raising. Did that accident do something horrible to his senses? Why doesn't he recognize me? Even worse, he's afraid of me!_

_"Len, please..." I begged shamelessly. "Please come here, I miss you.."_

_He started to sob, covering his eyes, shoulders hunched over. "No, don't take me, please. I miss Rin, I want to go back, I want to live! Go away!"_

_Was he speaking to Death? Was this some sort of vision, or nightmare he got from all the stress?_

_"I didn't tell Rin that I loved her. She was so scared for me, I felt it, I want to hug her. I want to tell her I love her and then you can take me. I promise. Please, just once..."_

_My tears were racing down my face and neck. Something in my heart broke at his words, words that should never be spoken by a young child. Desperately, one last time, I reached out my hand to touch him._

_"Don't cry Lenny. I'm right here._

_I won't let them take you..."_

_But the second I said that, the second I placed my hand on his shoulder, the most gruesome thing happend. Something that haunts me to this day, something that still visits me to this night. Something I would never, ever forget._

_Len burst into flames._

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

"NOO!"

My head sprang up, covered in sweat and smudged with dirt. The second I sat up, a pain like lightning bolts struck my abdomen, and I fell back to the earth. I lay there in the grass and dew, in full view of the cloud and sky. The tears streamed down my face as remembrance came upon me.

"I killed him." I whispered, to the empty air.

But while we were at the press agency, the night we met Miku, didn't Len say that he was killed by something else? That it wasn't me who had initiated the combustion? After the fire fighters, policemen and doctors had come, everyone said it was me. I believed it as well. The very next day, after the accident, I was shipped to the asylum.

I sighed. My flow of thought redirected to what had happened hours ago. Where did Kaito get a gun? What had happened after that? Where was Len?

I realized that Len was not with me.

"Ugh...Len?" I called, trying to sit up with obvious pain. "Len?"

Finally taking the time to survey my location, I realized that the Castle was gone. I was lying in the Cemetery, surrounded by white tombstones, all alone. There were no birds, nothing. The Hill of the Dead was indeed, dead.

"Len?" I twisted my body, and felt my abdomen. I recoiled in pain, as I felt warm and moist blood, still fresh. Couldn't I summon Len, or at least know where he was? Before, I always knew his location if I concentrated hard enough, and he would know mine. But right now, I felt absolutely nothing.

Then I looked up. I saw that I was laid right next to the angel statue. However, now there was a silver knife clasped in her hand. I reached for it, ignoring the wound, and grabbed the stained handle.

_"OK...OK..you can do it..."_

With my trembling hands, I guided the knife to the bullet wound. It was gruesome, but I removed the bullet that was stuck there. It took several tries, and an excruciating amount to pain, but it came out. I chucked the bloody bullet away, and just lay on my side, crying softly.

"What do I do?" I thought. I am completely hopeless, and so weak. Without any connection to Len, I felt lost and detached.

Where was he? Where did he go afterward...?

Then it hit me.

_"Not the Workshop..."_ I felt faint and nauseated. I tried to vomit, but there was nothing to bring up.

My mind screamed to my insides. _"You know that he was going there, but did you prevent it? No! You just let a bullet and a guy you have defeated before knock you out. Now Len is down there, and it's all your fault."_

I got up to my feet, holding onto the statue for balance. I was struck by vertigo, but I held on long enough for my brain to shut up. Just look at how reliable I was. The list of people I was responsible for was major, from my parents to Miku. I had said to her that she would be fine, and yet her hair ended up in Kaito's hands.

After twenty minutes of depressing reflection, I was finally able to walk. I made my way down the hill, arriving to the gate. But sitting next to it was a doll I have never seen before. Like the Pianist and Violinist, he had button eyes. He wore rags, but his long purple hair glimmered in the sun. It was even longer that Miku's, tied in a traditional Japanese style.

"W-w-here i-is M-M-Melancholia?" I stuttered. I hoped he would provide an answer of some sort.

The purple-haired doll turned his head, towards the West. I nodded a thank you, and trudged on.

Where did he come from? Why didn't he disappear with the other dolls? Plus, he didn't say a word. I never remembered making him.

I headed into the depths of the Forest, a burden weighing down on my shoulders. Why didn't that bullet kill me? If I had died, then I would be with Len. That was all I really wanted. But how selfish would that be, if I just gave up?

I had no reason to go back to Melancholia. But it was better than lingering around the Forest where creatures unbeknownst to men are licking their lips.

***Time skip to a few hours later***

"There!"

My home was just how I had imagined it. The Mansion towered over me in the humid air, as we approached August. Nothing had changed, and the courtyard remained the same. The only major difference was that the exterior of the Mansion was taped off with police tape.

That's right. I'm one of Melancholia's most wanted criminals. Everywhere I went, policemen were everywhere, and people were being questioned. Had Miku been arrested?

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my senses, and Miku's figure. Then I tried to fill in her surroundings, fighting to catch a clear image. The fog vaporized, and I could see the scene.

Miku was sitting in a room, stripped of furniture besides a bed. The door of her room was boarded and chained, and the windows were barred. Apparently, they put her under house arrest in a hotel room.

The teenager sat on the bed, head in her hands. Whatever words she were whispering, I couldn't make them out. Her beautiful flowing twin tails had been cut, leaving cropped hair even shorter than mine. That probably explains why Kaito had a lock of her hair.

I opened my eyes, getting myself drift back into reality. Thank God that she was still safe, for now. At first I thought Kaito had her imprisoned, or even KILLED her.

I threw open the door, to the pantry. I had managed to avoid the police, but I need to recover. It took an unreasonably long time to get through the Forest with an injury, not to mention the fear of Kaito. Today, I didn't see him at all. Did something happen to him too?

I closed the door, sealing myself into the stuffy room. Thankfully, there were shelves and shelves of non-perishable food, and bread. Water was trickier, but there was a pump and garden hose at the back. I was also informed that there were water purifying packets in here, too.

I can't stay here for long. Since so much necessities were available here, it was a matter of time before I was discovered. Throwing my cloak onto the dusty floor, I gingerly laid on top of it. There were overhead lights, but I decided on using a candle instead.

After the wick was ignited, I lay on my side, ignoring the pain that shook my whole body. I just stared at the candle flame, thinking about Len, Miku, Oliver, everything. I dug my hands into my face, as tears started falling. How..how can I save all these people in such a short amount of time? How did I cause all this in the first place?

_"What's wrong with you, Rin?"_

That was where I decided to stay, for the next 48 hours. I had no choice of going elsewhere until I had completely healed, which took quite awhile. In the period of two days, all I did was lie on the ground, feeling more worthless than dirt. It wasn't the best way to spend your hours, but for me, it was all I needed.

* * *

"I can't do this..." I sat up, each time with less pain. I've been down here for long enough, and August 17th was a little more than a week away. I have to get moving.

There was a pouch thing in the pantry. I took that, and stuffed it with food and water purifiers. Then I creaked open the wooden door, surprised that the Police didn't search it yet.

_"Maybe they already searched the Mansion, before I got here...and arrested my aunt..."_ It seemed reasonable, and explained why the house was so quiet. I was just wondering how they'll manage to contain her...

The piercing night air sent needles up my skin. I still have to get used to the cold nights in this town, and being shut up in a basement wasn't good either. I started taking careful steps into the courtyard, tripping over a soft lump in the grasses.

"What the-" I stumbled, and regained my balance. When I looked down to see what had thrown me off, the only thing visible was the moonlight glinting off purple hair.

The doll I had seen by the gate had followed me.

"What are you doing here?!" I hissed. I took the thing in my hands, turning it right side up. There was a cheeky grin stitched onto his wide face.

"You're not trying to kill me, are you?" I whispered to it. "I've never remembered making you."

The man in rags didn't reply. Exasperated, I turned it over to find a curious flap of paper sticking out of a rip in his back. I removed it gently, to read the note scrawled in the darkness...

"BIECLALNTHOEWLEPR YOU."

_"Was this some sort of ancient insult?" _I thought. Baffled, I turned to the doll and found that his face had turned.

Towards the West.

I followed his eyes. There, in the horizon, was a single appendage towering over the rest.

I looked back at the note. In mystery stories I have read, there is _always_ some sort of code or cipher. This one might not take too long, if I'm lucky.

"OK. 'YOU' is the only distinguishable word here. So I'll leave that out."

That left "BIECLALNTHOEWLEPR." Is this an anagram of some sort? A secret language? Or maybe it's just nothing at all? I looked at the first letter, and then the second. The word made no sense.

"What if I looked at every second letter?" I tried that, and it hit me.

"I CAN HELP."

I looked over at the doll, who's head was still in that same direction. If I added the word after it, that will make "I CAN HELP YOU."

But what about the other letters? I started taking out every second character. The leftover letters made "BELL TOWER."

_The doll's head was turned to the Bell Tower..._

I studied the soaring building in the West.

Stuffing the note and purple-haired doll into my pocket, I started running there. I wasn't sure what I was in for, but I just might get what I need.

Time to check out this "Bell Tower."

* * *

There it stood, like a lonely soldier after the fight. Against the early morning sky, the Bell Tower left a stygian shadow upon the Earth and me. It was an old building, a sleek structure borne from rock. The thing stood a stunning fifty feet, which made me realize how stupid I was for not noticing it earlier.

I took the purple-haired doll out of my pocket, holding him up to face the Bell Tower. His head faced it, like some sort of abstract compass. Once I turned him so he faced me, his head remained disturbingly glued to the building. It sent chills up my spine.

"This place must be really important to you, huh?" Pocketing the doll, I proceeded to push open the oaken door. It didn't resist, to my relief. Before me lay spirals and spirals of stairs, like a humongous snail shell had replaced the ceiling.

_"Do I really have to climb all THOSE?"_ I groaned. It reminded me of the tower in the Castle, wherever that was...

But out of the corner of my eye, I spotted another door off on the side. I reached for the handle, but discovered that it was locked.

_"Is there a key?"_ I scanned the room, but couldn't find anything that resembles one. But before going up the stairs, I decided to look underneath the door to see if someone worth looking for was in there.

There was a shadow, signifying feet. I kept my mouth shut as the shadow took careful steps around the doorway, and then vanished from view. There was a light streaming from underneath the crack.

**Something was definitely up.**

I was afraid of using any fire powers, because of harming others. But now that I have a hold on my sanity, I intend to keep it. I ignited a small flame near the handle of the door, fed it oxygen, and killed it to make a fist-sized hole in the door. I slid my hand through it, successfully unlocking it.

But as the door creaked open, I saw that the room was dim and empty. In fact, the entire room was covered in dust. Looking closer, there were shapes of footsteps in the flour-like floor. They trailed off to a section of the wall, while there was another door that had been pushed open. My gaze traveled between these two places, confused on where to look first.

"Isn't this another riddle?" My hand groped around my pocket, making sure that the doll was still there. Instantly, I felt another flimsy paper stuck in his back.

"Huh?" I unfolded it and began reading.

_"The more you take, the more you leave."_ It said.

I looked at the doll's seemingly placid expression, then back at the room. The only door here was on the other side, but someone had obviously went through the cobblestone. There has to be a hidden door, or even a revolving wall.

"Footprints..." I whispered. The more footsteps you take, the more footprints you leave. That means my best bet would be the wall.

Stepping on the prints left by the previous person, I examined the wall for an opening. When finding none, I gave it a push.

Yes! Like I had hoped, the section of the wall gave away. Stones tumbled and dust filled the air, as I stumbled over the wreak. I was in yet another room, but one that was much smaller this time. In the middle of the room, there was a small, ornate table with a wine bottle on it.

"What's this?" I mused, as I popped open the cork and sniffed it. Oranges.

No matter desirable it smelled, I still didn't trust it. My hand returned to the doll, retrieving the anticipated paper from him.

_"Need a break? Take a Reviver. Sometimes, going back to where you came from solves everything."_

I shook my head. This I didn't trust either! Think, there has to be some meaning behind this!

"Not just yet." I said to the doll. "I need to know the meaning behind the Reviver."

A "reviver" was something that restores either the life or strength of something or someone. So is that what the drink intends to do? What if is poisonous, and its title was just misleading? It seems like a...setup.

Another thought entered my head. The word "reviver" was also a palindrome! A word that spells the same forwards, and _backwards_. And didn't the note say "Sometimes, going _back_ to where you came from solves everything"? Where did I come from, exactly?

_"That also explains why Reviver was underlined. Maybe if I just exit the room and come back in, does THAT count as being revived?"_

I couldn't be so sure. But to me, it was better than taking my chances with the ominous drink. Cautiously, I crawled back through the hole I made in the wall. Then I counted to three, and returned.

To my surprise, the room that lay before me was completely different. The table was gone, showing only a staircase. With nothing else to do, I climbed the steps, wind seeping through the cracks.

"Why didn't anyone find out about this Bell Tower? And even more important, what will I find at the end?"

Finally, I came to what seemed to be the last room. Although it was approximately the same size as the last one I had came to, the walls were more grimier and cobwebs were everywhere. But the most gruesome thing about this particular room was that the ground was strewn with skeletons...human skeletons.

I've seen burn victims, and people covered in gore. But I've never encountered a skeleton before.

And the pearl white bones of the skeletons weren't the things that frightened me...it was the stamp they all shared on their forehead, labeled "**CHEATED**." I couldn't help but connect this to the previous room, with the drink on the table. Did these people take the so-called "Reviver," and were _"cheated"_ because of that?

_"Focus on the riddle, Rin. We're almost there."_ I spoke to myself. "We" as in the doll and I, who provided the riddles for me.

I had a feeling that this may be the last room we would be in. Most stories had about three riddles, right? Maybe this was like one of them.

I read the note which the purple-haired man had given me:

_"It happens once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years. What is it?"_

"The letter M." I answered in a flash. I failed to believe that it was THAT easy! I looked around the room, and found that four doors had appeared after I had stated my answer. They each had a word carved into them: **Malice, Macabre, Melody, **and** Friendship.**

This struck me off as weird. Does the right door have something to do with the letter M? Malice, Macabre, and Melody all started with M, so I decided to work on those three first.

But after a few minutes considering the words, I realized that besides a single letter, I have no other hint to work from. For all I know, the correct answer may lie in any of these choices! I had no idea what "M" could mean.

Then it hit me.

I looked at the only other door, labeled "**Friendship**." What does M stand for? Not a word, but a name...

"**Miku**! M is Miku!" I exclaimed. Without further ado, I entered that door. Who exactly made up these riddles, and why were they so focused on my life?

"Hello?" My call was barely audible. However, the room this time was flooded with fresh air. Turns out, we were in the room where the bell was...overlooking a huge window.

The bell itself didn't look like it wanted to be in the room. There was a thin layer of dust on its amber surface, dulling the beautiful brass. A thick length of rope hung listlessly next to it, one that would ring the bell when pulled.

Even though I was extremely curious about the bell, I didn't dare ring it as the entire town would be notified of where I was. Instead, I wiped the some dust away with my cloak, letting the reflective surface breath in fresh air.

As the moonbeams bounced off of the single smudge of pristine metal, they ricocheted off to a different part of the room...illuminating it.

Did I just feel the doll shudder? Or was it my imagination playing tricks on me in the shadow of the bell? Whatever that was, I edged the cobblestone wall. In the midst of a hundred even, coordinate stone blocks, ONE seemed lopsided. But before removing the piece, I had to make sure I wasn't just faced with sky.

"There was a bulge, in the wall when I was outside." I mumbled to no one. "Could this be a secret room, one that was bricked up and forgotten?

No matter what I thought about that, I should check it out. I removed the stone, and was faced with darkness. Then I started to pull out the ones around it, creating a hole that was the size of my head. I looked through it. Inside, chained to the wall, was an intact skeleton. I gazed around the cranny, finding nothing else. Was this what I was looking for?

No, there has to be something more. I hacked at the stone, taking out more pieces to make the hole bigger. Once it was the correct size, I squeezed through it. There was to be more to it, I thought as I landed squarely on my feet.

And with further investigation came more results. There were strands of HAIR lying all over the place, which were invisible from far way. They were all a familiar purple hue.

"Did you die here?" I suspected that the skeleton was the doll in his old life. But the face with the button eyes didn't even wink.

Turning around, I reluctantly headed out. But the second I climbed, the doll in my pocket started to thrash like crazy. Then he was FLOATING in my pocket, towards the skeleton, taking me with him.

"What are you-"

The last words never came out. The skeleton was gone, and in its place was a very dirty, VERY thin man donned with rags. His head was down, and he seemed to be sleeping.

My breath came out slow and confused. I nervously approached him, speaking softly:

"Are you awake?"

And although he looked sickly, the man's eyes sparkled through his violet hair as he looked up.

"_Now_ I am." He remarked, and smiled. His voice was deeper than both Len and Kaito's, and had a whimsical tone to it. The man could be on his late twenties, but he looked older with the dirt smeared on his face and his hunched position. Yet I have to admit that he was handsome.

"I have to say, you were phenomenal with those riddles. Were they facile for you?"

"Um, n-not really..." I started. "I used to read mystery novels, that's all."

"Used to? What do you mean, **used** to?"

The way he asked these questions, and the way his voice came out as easily as silk made me feel trapped. "Nothing."

"It has something to do with that boy, correct?"

"Len?"

"That's the name!" He sat up and leaned against the wall, the chain strapped to his ankles rattling in complaint. "You're associated with him, I can feel it. But I won't judge you based on that, of course. Len is such a sweetheart, you know? Always passing by to say hello. It was a shame he died so young. That was quite awhile ago, though. I fear I have lost contact with him."

"He's not here. Oliver's got a hold on him. I think he's in the..."

I didn't finish my sentence, but he knew what I was talking about. "He wouldn't last for long."

My eye welled up with tears, threatening to spill over. "You said you are able to help. May I ask you a favor?"

He solemnly nodded. "For succeeding to to answer my riddles, what is it that you wish for?"

What I wished for? The things were countless. I wanted to know who my parents were. I wanted to be able to save Miku. I needed to rescue Len from the Workshop. I wanted my name to be cleared, to get rid of my aunt, to defeat Kaito, and to live my life as a normal girl. But of course, I went with the most important one.

"Tell me, please...how do I stop the Maker's Curse?"

The man in rags looked at me thoughtfully, as if piecing together my face. It was a strange expression, and made me slightly uncomfortable. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he spoke.

"A song. The Maker's nephew needs to be put to sleep with a song. The exact one is unknown."

"A song?" I repeated.

"Oliver, the 'Maker in power', is still but a young boy. About the same age as Len. When a human passes on, especially a child, a song can be used to guide their soul into the next life. Or in this case, put them to rest forever. The only reason why Len came back, inhabiting the Detective, was that he knew about the curse."

I thought through this carefully. It seemed possible, but how can I know he was telling the truth?

"How do you know all this, exactly? Were you ever a Maker, yourself?"

"Oh no, all the Makers have been female. And I understand why you seem so distrustful of me. I would've killed you in one of the rooms, and your body would have been torn open. Your soul would travel on and relive the life of someone else's baby, who would meet the same fate. Unless you can stop it, of course."

I didn't want to be reminded of that. "Is that all it takes? A song? A song sang to him on the day he died?" I looked at him in the eyes. "How do you know?"

"Yukari...the one before you, was my great-great granddaughter. She told me. We were both in the same realm; death, but she was a soul and I was a ghost. That doll, in your pocket, was one she had made of me years after I died."

Letting the information sink in, I asked him the most important question of all. "Who...who exactly are you?"

"Me? I don't know who I am. My name, Gakupo, was something that had existed when I was still alive. For now, I go by the Bell Tower Man. Or, as you have witnessed, the Riddler. I remember living in this excuse-for-a-town, with my best friend Kaito. We built this very tower together from the salt of the earth, until he had started plotting alongside of the mayor, his own lustful plans taking over him. He even banished my own wife and children from the settlement, and back then, there was no place else to go."

My eyes widened when he said "Kaito." I felt a little of me die when he told me what Kaito had did. Seems like he was evil in his old life, as well...

"..I was enraged with him. So the night he was elected mayor, I stabbed him as he walked alone in the Forest. His body was never found, until Oliver happened to stroll past it. He offered Kaito a spot of great power, as long as he would become him loyal assistant. Many things happened, but every Maker who had died always seen a blue-haired man laughing amongst the dolls. Kaito roams the Forest, snatching people to be turned into dolls by his master, becoming more powerful by year. And me? Well, since I murdered the mayor of Melancholia, I was put to death by starvation. They sealed me into this place to rot out, and that's were I've been ever since."

My hand brought out the photo that was crumpled in my pocket, of the two men building the Bell Tower. "This..was you?"

"Yes. Kaito and I would've both been ghosts, but Oliver had taken favour to him. Kaito didn't know that I killed him, to this day. It would break his heart, it he knew."

"But he...he banished your family."

"True. But you'd never understand the bond we had as children. Always together, fighting the sickness and despair. Life was tough back then, it brought out something inside of us, and we knew we needed each other. Just how Len needs you."

We were silent, as Gakupo and I reflected on this small fact.

"Hey, besides being a Riddler and Bell Tower Man, I was a seer." He retrieved a pipe from behind him. "I was asking, would you like to see what happened after you were shot? Where Len and Kaito went?"

Should I? "Yes."

"Light my pipe, if you don't mind."

I snapped my fingers. A flame popped up from the holder, making Gakupo recoil in surprise. However, he returned to his "cool", and smoked it, mumbling quiet words. The wisps of smoke gathered around my head, in front of my eyes, and soon I could see pictures...

I saw my body, lying lifeless on the ballroom floor. Then I saw Len, bending over it, completely ignoring Kaito. But then he turned around, his eyes glowing with fire, and lashed out. I watched in horror and amazement as Len shredded Kaito, torn his arms and face off, not a single show of mercy in his dilated eyes. In that moment, he looked as insane as me.

But then Kaito struck back, just as hard. Cotton was everywhere, covering my body, soaking up the blood. I was protected from the fight of the dolls, blanketed in their own insides.

Len had enough. With each showdown, Len and Kaito looked more and more like dolls. Button eyes replaced their blue ones, and their mouths turned into stitches. Len finally grabbed a stitch that was Kaito's mouth, tearing his face open. The gruesome battle was ended by Len, who stood panting over a mass of cotton which was his opponent. Then Oliver came, silently. He was nothing more than a shadow, swooping over Kaito's body, and taking it once he disappeared. I knew he had sent Kaito to the Workshop, probably failing to kill Len.

Len didn't even react when Oliver took him, out of fatigue. But before he was taken from view, he held out one arm to touch me one last time. It never happened, as he himself disappeared in vain.

The vision ended.

* * *

**a/n: I absolutely enjoyed making up the riddles! I know they were easy and not well thought out, but "Everything is okay!"~ Catbug**

**IDK if I'll show Gakupo again in this story. I actually really like him... :c**

**Tell me what you think~! Until next time... :)**

**CS (Thank for your opinions on this, but I still like doing it :D): Apparently surviving, Rin takes shelter in the Mansion's pantry, after waking up from a flashback. She solves riddles given to her by Gakupo and his doll, who offers advice about the Maker's Curse. She also learns about his past, and sees the scenes right after she had been shot/**


	13. Breaking Out

**a/n: Just wanted to get this posted for Halloween \^_^/ Otherwise, I have nothing else to say... :3**

**Enjoy~! :)**

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

I collapsed to my knees as the world returned to me. With my face buried in my hands, I tried to make sense of whatever I had seen.

Len engaged in a horrific fight with Kaito, because he nearly took my life. Len had sacrificed himself, resulting with both of them ending up in the Workshop. He had reached out to touch me. He was afraid I would never wake up, and I was afraid that he would never see light again.

_"If only bringing you back was so easy…"_ I had the sudden impulse to punch the wall. Why did all this have to be unfair?

My eyes drifted to where Gakupo sat, interested in his reaction to this. But the man had disappeared, with the doll bound in his shackles. Hanging from his mouth was an envelope.

"G-Gakupo?" I knew it was right to leave him there, but it was depressing to see him forever isolated in this stony prison.

I gathered up the bits of his long hair, gleaming purple upon exposure to light. I placed them in front of him, watching over the doll. The envelope felt crisp in my fingers as I opened it.

Inside, there was a newspaper article and a note. Scrawled in red ink, the piece of paper bore the words "Before I go, he must know." The article's headlines screamed "**MURDERER OF NEWLY-ELECTED MAYOR REVEALED!**" It dated back three hundred years ago, a day after Kaito was murdered. Once he sees that it was Gakupo who had killed him…will he finally be put to rest?

But stuck to the back of the note was a button, as dark as onyx. Underneath it he wrote "For your parents."

I was baffled, at first. What message was he trying to put through? I peeled the button off of the paper, examining it. Was it to help with solving the murderer of my parents? Maybe it wasn't me, after all?

However, it didn't make any sense to me. What could a tiny button do? It wasn't until I held it up to my eye until I understood the answer.

"_Looking through the button is like looking through the eyes of a doll. And to find out who set fire to the house…_" I looked at the Gakupo doll.

"_…I need to look through the eyes of my PARENTS!_" Why didn't I think of this earlier? If I made dolls of my parents, I could look inside their beings and see the way they died. And who had killed them!

Leaving the hole unfixed so Gakupo's skeleton would be found and given a proper funeral, I headed back to pantry. I practically thrashed the room to find the thing I was looking for: An old fashioned sewing machine, and needles. The rest of the supplies were not a problem, I can make it work. Immediately, brimming with anticipation and excitement, I started to create the dolls of my family.

Within a subtle hour, both dolls were done. I had forgotten the freedom I felt as my hands worked on bringing life upon their cloth bodies. I wished into them the souls of my parents, all my memories and feelings about them.

My Mom had on a floral print dress, and her beloved sunhat. The two of us looked identical, except for her long hair. I couldn't find decent cloth to dress my Dad in what he would usually wear, so I gave him pyjamas. Although it looked awkward, the results would suffice.

_"Mom...Dad...who killed you?"_ I held the figures close to me, trying to merge into their thoughts. My mind emptied itself of any thoughts, and after focusing on the feeling of nothing, I headed in.

"_To look through the eyes of a doll is like looking **into** the eyes of a human..._"

Then it became obvious.

I awoke from my subconscious state, the death of my parents laid out before my eyes. I went through what they went through, and I understood how it happened. And _who_ did it.

It wasn't me who committed the crime. It was someone else, not matter what the photo in the newspaper proves. Something inside of me was growing, after solving the mystery. It was right in front of me all along...

_"I know who killed my parents..."_

Gakupo had offered enough advice to make my problems work. And I have to thank him, with this ancient article.

No point sitting around. **There is work to get done.**

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

Was this how Rin had felt during her years in the asylum?

After two days, I had almost given up on her. This wasn't some sort of fairy tale, where rescue was a cat's whisker away. If I was going to escape, I had to do it myself.

_"Or maybe I'll just stay here after all."_ Besides cutting my hair off, the policeman asked me things like where Rin went, if I had helped her at the crime scene, yadayada. When I had threatened them, they threatened me back. However, I never bent at their words, unlike that night. Rin was so young, and yet they are hunting her down like that?

"Our justice system is messed up." I spoke to the wall. Already, two days in this stupid room felt like forever. How on earth did Rin manage two years?

Being here was like my life in the past. Colourless and mediocre. Depressing and plain. I wanted to get out.

As if my wish was heard by the rulers of above, the door bursted open.

"**MIKU!**"

I nearly passed out at the sight of Rin standing at the door way, the chains that bound the door were melting as she held them. She didn't react to the liquefying metal in her hands.

"Rin, what are you-"

"Busting you out of course!" She threw the chains aside, and clenched my arm. Her touch scalded my skin, as we raced through the hotel. The alarm hasn't gone off, apparently, but time was ticking.

"Thank God you're OK, Rin!" I exclaimed, still wondering how she got through the security system so flawlessly.

"I'm sorry I didn't for you sooner Miku, but I learned a lot. I found out who murdered my parents."

My eyes widened at the news. "So it wasn't you?"

"I'm positive. I'll explain. But even more important, I found a way to stop the curse. All you need is a song."

"A _song?_ Who told you..."

We sprinted through the city, in broad daylight. Rin's hand never left my arm, leaving a red handprint after we slowed to a halt. I found that we had stopped at the library, which was taped of in yellow tape. Rin entered swiftly, blending into the shadows, while I sort of hobbled along.

"Look," She whispered once we approached the Incinerator room, which I remembered was soundproof. "It's complicated, but there was this guy in the Bell Tower. He was a ghost who was imprisoned there, and the grandfather of Y. He told me about the curse, and a lead to help me figure out the murderer." She turned.

"It wasn't me, Miku. It was _Kaito_."

"Kaito...?" I whispered. "Do you mean...the person with the blue hair and the mask?"

"Yes..." Rin seemed far-away and distraught, suggesting that she had seen unsettling things. "I made dolls of my parents, and went into their bodies. Kaito has the ability to shape-shift, and transformed into ME, the day he burned down the house. He stabbed my parents with a silver knife, and then covered it up by lighting them. The fire spread through the building, giving the feeling that I was the one who did it. Kaito had it planned out, to frame me, but I'm not sure why. I'm guessing it's so that he could get a hold on Len, or even you..."

Rin, who was so full of vigour at the hotel, looked gloomy and tired in front of me. For once, she looked like she could be a resident of Melancholia.

"I saw Kaito, too! He was the reason the police arrested me. He did a spell revealing your footprints, and then made lies about me being his 'favourite librarian' as an excuse why he was here so late. It was frightening, the way he knew everything that was going on."

Rin swore under her breath. "...I should've known Kaito would have visited you after I left. He's going to pay big time." She suddenly remembered something. "But Kaito...he's in the Workshop...with Len..."

"The **Workshop**?! What's the Workshop?" From the way she said it, it couldn't be good.

But Rin was in no mood to give me an answer. She stared blankly at the ground, as pale tears formed in her eyes.

"It's my fault. It shouldn't be him...why not me?"

"No, Rin, it can't be your fault. It's just that..." I tried to be supportive. "...your life had taught you that everything was because of _you_. But it's not. We can rescue Len from that place, if we try. Just hold on, for him, okay?"

The blonde's eyes gazed into mine, more or less understanding. It was remarkable how similar they resembled Len's, just a ghost of a shade lighter.

"We have to go save him. Before they turn him into one of those monsters. Before he forgets about us."

"What-"

The girl had already sped towards the door, flinging it open. I wanted to prevent her from making too much of a commotion, but it was too late. Blocking the light from the doorway, the policemen have been noticed of the breakout. And right in front of them was the very person they had questioned me about.

Rin swore again.

Cries rang through my library. It was as if a switch was turned on, and all chaos broke loose. To break it all down, this was what happened:

The policemen saw Rin, and some took a second or two to recover. Then they surrounded her, as more officers were notified. Rin managed to wriggle out from between their legs, yelling for me to run.

The men locked the doors, with their two lawbreakers in the same room. One guy brought out an angry taser, trying to prod me with it.

Rin sent a flame on the guy's hand, and he dropped the taser. A static was sent through the room, causing Rin to lose herself for a few seconds, when it landed near her foot.

During this time, the police piled up on top of her. The same guy got the taser started again, but then I threw a hardcover at his head. It actually worked, to my delight, as he was knocked unconscious when "_The Power of Literature_" connected with his skull. Yes, that was the book's actual title. I can look back on this later and laugh about it.

Five guys handcuffed me, with about a dozen restraining Rin. She kicked the bookshelf, causing it to topple on half of the officers. With her hands behind her back, she headed towards me. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she had to fight back the desire to unleash her full power on the men. I struggled with the police, when I saw Rin buckle. The chief with the freaky moustache had kicked her from behind.

The mirror fell out from her clothes. No words could describe my surprise as the glass crackled with light, upon hitting the ground. A black creature...no, PERSON, crawled out of it. With just its upper body outside, it instantly slain several officers. And all this happened with me screaming my lungs out the entire time.

"**HEY! STOP!**" Rin tried to reach for the mirror, or to stop the creature somehow. She had no idea that this would happen.

The thing reared back like an untamed bull, and was trying to strike her. I moved forward, but slipped on blood.

"I didn't want to do this." She hissed.

I lay face flat on the floor, my hands still cuffed behind my back. I couldn't see anything, but hear Rin's voice and the creature's howls. Then I felt heat.

My hands were released. "Come on!" Rin urged, grabbing me. I didn't want to look back, but I had to...

"**My library!**"

The wonderland of books was engulfed in flames. The creature was still in mirror, writhing and screaming. My precious books...they were all on fire!

"Miku, come on!"

"**RIN! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!**" I screamed at her. The tears fell faster than I realized them appearing.

The blond seemed offended by what I said. "But...I had to do it! Did you see how that thing killed the police?! I didn't want to burn it, honestly."

We exited the building. I coughed, still fuming at her.

"You have no idea what the library means to me! We'll be in big trouble now, because you had to burn it down! Is that all you can do?! Now if I ever return, I have no freaking job."

"We're not returning."

Her aunt's mansion emerged before my wet eyes. She made a beeline to the car parked in the driveway, forcing the door open.

"What on earth are you doing?!"

Rin's gaze was cool. "Getting out of here. And we have to cooperate if we are ever getting out of Melancholia. Do you have any experience in driving?"

She waited for my answer, sitting behind the wheel. The authorities would be here any minute, and discover the burning building. There was nothing to lose.

"Move the fuck over."

Rin seemed surprised at my words, and moved to the back. I slammed the door, starting the ignition with keys that were unwittingly left in starter. Believe me, I don't usually swear. In fact, this was the first time I felt anger and grief in my life, and it was horrible. In words, it was as if my heart was ripped out, ignited, and tossed over a cliff.

"Look, I'm really sorry." Rin's tiny voice spoke from behind. "It was all I can do. The monster was going to kill us both if it wasn't destroyed. Besides, it wasn't just your loss. My mirror was back there."

I've never thought about it that way. But I ignored her apology as I sped through the back road, accelerating to full speed. Rin sighed.

"See what I mean? Everything is my fault. You try living on the guilt of the things that you didn't intend on doing."

No answer.

"If you're going to give me the silent treatment, that's fine by me. Oh, and I also noticed that the book you threw at the policeman was called '_The Power of Literature_'. I guess the books had their own fight going on."

My temper softened the _tiniest_ bit, but the tears freely flowed.

* * *

**a/n: I realized there was lots of swearing in this. Oh well. :D Please tell meh what you thought! The next chapter will be longer than this. xD**

**Cs: Heheh I think everything here is pretty self-explanatory ;D **


	14. Connected

**a/n: Lest we forget.**

**God. I feel terrible for not updating earlier. T^T I was working on another fic, but I have yet to post it. It will be a short project, because I needed break from The Doll Maker. I'll be posting that soon enough, and updating it regularly! :D**

**So now the chapter I was promising! Please enjoy~**

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

The moon hung somberly in the inky sky, and the wind was fooling around with my mind. I decided to stop the car.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands. It's been almost an entire day, and I wanted to fall over and cry. It wasn't very considerate of me to do that though, after what Rin had been through. To her, loosing Len was like loosing my library, and to have him forget her after everything...it must be hard. I was still slightly pissed of what Rin did, but upon looking back on what I said, I felt terrible.

"Rin?" I whispered, turning to the backseats to check on her. She was lying on her side, eyes wide and unblinking.

At first, I was startled. Thinking that she had somehow _died_, I was panicking until my eyes caught her chest rise. She was sleeping! A wave of relief washed over me, but also disturbance. Was that the way she ALWAYS slept? It was unsettling.

The fourteen-year old was shivering. With each breath she took, trembles rocked her body. Rin had nothing on but a cloak that was starting to smell, and a dress. I had to debate on the idea of lending my white sweater to her, but that would leave me with just a bra.

"I'm sorry, Rin. And I also forgive you." I rubbed her arm, twitching at the iciness of it. I closed her eyelids, even though I still shivered from her dead-eyed sleep.

_"Her eyes were so pretty"_, I observed. They were glazed with a hard look when she's awake, but as she slept they were like paintings. True windows to the soul. Rin seemed so innocent as she is sleeping, but who knows what she's dreaming about.

_"I shouldn't park on the main road. What if the police are heading along this route?"_

I drove on a bit further, the two headlights reminding me of the eyes of a wolf. Eventually, I came upon a humongous lake. The moon was a gleaming sphere in the cobalt water, shimmering in an enigmatic manner. It was as if the place was inhabited by fairies.

"Goodnight, Rin." I slept in the driver's seat, with my feet propped up on the other. My consciousness seeped into the cushiony smell of flowers...

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

Something urged me to wake up. Rubbing my eyes drowsily, I was in no mood for anymore surprises. But once I looked outside, my hopes were proven wrong.

The car was on a LAKE. ON TOP OF IT. Somehow, we were held up by the water and nothing else. Why would there be ice in the middle of the summer?

I exited the car to investigate, letting myself test the strange surface. It was smooth, but not freezing. And it was far from wet, the glass-like surface reflecting my own face back at me...

That's it! It was a _mirror_. We had, in some way another, ended up on a single_ lake-sized_ mirror. The night sky and the trees were reflected in it was well, making it look like an entire chunk of the Forest had been replaced with deep space.

"Miku!" I padded across the clean glass, towards the car. I wondered why on earth Miku had parked onto a lake. And most importantly, _how._

"What is it, Rin?" She cracked an eye open, underneath her arm. It was the first thing she said to me all day.

"H-how did you stop the car on a _lake_?"

"What?" Miku was instantly awake. "But I only parked NEXT to it!" She stuck her head out of the window, absorbing the same sight that I had.

"This lake...CAN'T be an ordinary lake..." Miku panted.

"It's a mirror, for some reason. Come on, we have to get back."

"I'm so confused."

"I know."

Miku and I held onto each other as we carefully crossed the lake, each small step taking us closer to shore. But once we got to the edge, the glass gave away. The two of us were falling, descending an endless pit of nothingness. There was no sound but our screams (mostly Miku's) as we fell.

"RRIINNNNNNN!"

"Grab onto me!"

The drop never seemed to cease. I knew for a fact that Oliver, or someone associated with him, was behind it. It reeked of death, and more importantly, roses.

My arm was the only thing that kept us together, like a rainbow connecting two clouds. Though the literal prospect of the metaphor was utterly inappropriate, for the situation.

Finally, we landed onto a pile of cotton. Even though Miku was glad that our landing was cushioned, I immediately felt sick to the stomach. I will never look at cotton the same way again.

"Where do you think-"

"Shh..." For a sixteen year old, she sure loved to talk. I, too, didn't know where we are. This place felt deeper than deep. I was beginning to feel as if we had journeyed past the Mirror World...and somehow entered another realm?

Walking around the vast space of dimly lit space, massive bodies of white appeared in the distance. The ground, I had discovered, was a crimson red hue. Miku and I ventured into the valley of cotton mountains. I did not like this at all.

"Getting a bit lost, are we?" I couldn't see the voice, but I could hear it vibrate through emptiness. A voice so familiar, it filled me with rage.

"**Kaitokaitokaitokaitokaitokaitokaito!**" I cried. Miku looked at me, lifting an eyebrow. Apparently, I was the only one who could hear him.

Kaito chuckled."Nice try, Skinny," He used the stupid nickname my aunt had first called me. "But I'm afraid my power has extended past that point. Unless you broaden your horizons, my name has no power against me."

As I seem to lessen with power, Kaito seems to gain more. "Gakupo...Gakupo killed-"

Kaito continued talking. "Wondering how I managed to get out of the Workshop, huh? Well, the Master is but a small child. An easy chiding, not to mention a valued reputation lead me to my freedom. With the exception of killing _you_, of course. And to help me with that, Oliver has given me Len's energy."

I was fuming with him. However, I couldn't see him. It must be his shape-shifting abilities, with invisible effects too.

"It was such an easy night, and such a fun mission. I was all about fun, you know. So when fire and fun were mixed in one, the answer was already there."

"Kaito..you will **pay** for this..."

"Why would I, with new found power? The Workshop isn't a pleasant place, Rin. I had to agree, to get myself out of there."

Now, I had to do the same to Len. My cries traveled across the darkness, somehow reaching someone I couldn't see. "Where is the Workshop?"

"You, my dear, are in it."

"Rin? Who are you talking to?"

Kaito's presence was gone, restoring a sense of emptiness. It didn't settle the rage in my heart, though.

"**KAITO!**" He was gone. "Karma doesn't let go easily, Kaito. **YOU WILL PAY!**"

"Rin, calm down!" She looked around, shivering as she held onto me. "W-was that him? Kaito?"

"He...he was brought back by Oliver. In exchange for Len..." I slapped myself across the forehead. I...WE were too late. If I came before, would I've been able to stop the transfer?

"No, Rin." She grabbed my wrist. "No self-harm please. Now, do you have any idea where we are?"

My eyes narrowed, but I could still feel adrenaline coursing through my blood. "The Workshop. I thought Kaito would be lying, but this seems it. It feels...familiar, somehow?" I didn't have an actually memory of the Workshop...just the feeling. Like deja vu...

"Well...if you had died may times, maybe one of your past lives ended here." Miku suggested. She was a point, I thought, walking deeper into the dark space.

"Let's explore this area, and try to find an exit. Or Len, although it might be dangerous for you to come along."

Miku huffed. "Why am I the weak one? I'm two years older than you! And your chances of living are just as bleak as mine! You're only human, Rin."

I sighed. I didn't want to get into another fight with Miku, not like yesterday. "I guess you're right. Just stick together, no matter what, okay?"

We continued walking. Each time I blinked, some piles of cotton would disappear and new, fresher batches would appear. I can only imagine what happens from there.

"Rin...are they moving?"

"Shh...just keep walking." Just the cold, ominous silence made me shiver. Eventually, we arrived to a keyhole, with light spewing from it. Nodding at Miku, I stood up taller to look through it.

Red. Everything was a sickly, solid red. I looked back to Miku, telling her what I saw. She too looked through the keyhole.

"What are you talking about, Rin? It's just white." Miku said. "I think there's an entrance around here. Let's check out back, shall we?"

"Sure..." Before moving on, I decided to look through the keyhole one last time, just to confirm what I saw. But all I saw was white, like Miku had said. As I stared at it, I noticed a little girl with milky white skin crying in the corner. As she turned her head to grin at me, I saw that her pupil-less eyes were indeed red.

I backed off, nearly vomiting. I turned and ran after Miku.

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

The darkness that surrounded us finally ceased. As Rin caught up to me, it turned out to be a hallway. Filled with light that gave it a sepia feeling, it looked welcoming.

"Rin, is this the..."

She walked in, disregarding me. I shrugged at her hasty behaviour. She seemed disturbed at something she had previously seen, or still intrigued by that keyhole.

"Miku..."

"What do you see?" I ran through the hall myself, as a musty smell descended upon me. I coughed. A sudden chill was evident.

The scenery changed. Instead of that almost angelic hall I had seen earlier, the room was flooded with inky black. I threw my hands against the wall, feeling the stone. I shimmied along it, trying to find Rin.

A fire suddenly went up. Rin stood on the other side of the room, in front of a hearth. On the hearth was a pot, full of body parts. The being inside started screaming.

Rin fell back, as she didn't notice it earlier. "I'm sorry! I just needed some light!"

A black aura sprang out from the pot, slamming Rin onto the ground. Whimpering, the creature hauled the pot out of the fire, rolling away inside of it.

"Rin!" I ran over to her, helping her up.

"I'm OK." She simply said, although she didn't look fine to me. "I better be careful. And you too, Miku."

I crossed my arms, slightly annoyed about her giving orders around like that. But whatever bored expression I had on vanished as we looked around the room

It was like a cellar, except HUMONGOUS. The stone room was vast, and had wooden tables everywhere. On the tables were sheets, stained with blood or other fluids. Cotton piled up everywhere. And above us was a gruesome sight: Bodies and faceless mannequins dangled, sometimes just the individual parts. From the hooks, the ones who still had heads gave us eyeball-popping stares. Blood dripped from were the hooks carelessly protruded.

My hand felt the top of my head. It was soaking wet.

But before I could throw up, Rin covered my mouth. She herself didn't seem disturbed by the horrific display.

"There's something in the hearth, after the thing left." Rin lead me to the black iron furnace. She snapped her fingers, the fire disappearing. In the little moment of terrifying darkness, Rin relighted a tiny flame in her palm. Bending over, she examined the rancid ashes.

"I feel something here..." She knocked on the ground in front of the fireplace. It gave a _hollow_ response.

The blonde instantly became suspicious. She reached into the ashes again, bending over at a daring angle.

"Rin...be careful."

"I _am_ care-"

A puff of disgusting debris indicated that Rin was gone.

"**RIN!**" Why doesn't the girl scream? I have no idea where she could be.

"Rin? **Yell** **if you can hear me!**"

No answer.

A lump formed in my throat. I didn't want to be left alone in this hellhole, this cursed and gory room. The fire had completely gone out, leaving me with foul darkness. There was a constant dripping as lifeless eyes stared at me in the black.

"_**RIN!**_"

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

I was having the strangest dream.

I didn't feel a thing. Falling through the fireplace was like Mirror-Traveling, something I actually missed doing. But something separated from me, something I knew was important.

I opened my eyes to find my vision hazy, like the world was engulfed with fog. But one thing was clear.

My body was lying the in the center of the darkness. Blood oozed out from my head, but there was no pain. My eyes were open, the blue orbs the only colour besides the blood. I gasped. Moving my body freely, I found out I could travel around the person on the ground.

My voice was choked. Did I die, again? Except so suddenly, that my spirit didn't even realize it was dead?

I put my hands out, but there was nothing there. Then the outlines of them flickered back and fourth, like bad lighting. My palms were there and gone, but they looked strange. The life lines from them were missing.

_"I am...dead? I can't be-"_

For several attempts, I tried to return to my body. But each time I did, a yellow field blocked me. This was what must have kept me protected from the dolls, I thought. Reading between the lines, that must have meant that even in death, Len was still shielding me from harm. From myself.

_"Miku!"_ I suddenly thought. I couldn't hear her call me. I must have fallen soundlessly, I thought. Why didn't I scream?

I focused for my entity to move up. Surprisingly, it was very easy. I ascended, like traveling through clouds and water vapour.

Very faintly, I heard sobbing. It was like my world was muffled, like when you wrap a pillow around both of your ears, attempting to sleep. Everything moved slowly, like molasses.

_"Miku..."_ I made a weak attempt to call her. She responded:

_"Rin? Where are you?! Why didn't you answer?"_ She started shuffling. _"Where are you?"_

_"I...don't know..."_

I strained to hear her reply. _"What do you mean?"_

_"I think...I think I'm dead. Miku...please find an exit. I'll find Len."_

Her voice managed to penetrate my failing hearing.

_"I don't believe this! Rin, come out!"_

* * *

**Miku's POV:**

A fire broke out in front me. I leaped back, terrified. It wasn't funny that she was teasing me like this...

_"Miku..."_ The voice in my head said again. _"Please...take...light...I...find...exit, please..."_

I stared at the fire. It was weak, dying out. Like her voice.

_"..take...light...please..."_

I closed my eyes. I cupped the flame into my palm, and it worked. It was like picking up a small creature, a warm pulsing bundle. I held the light, waving it around, to find Rin.

"Rin, it worked! I can't believe it worked!"

No reply. I was left on my own again. Was it true? Was it true that Rin was separated from her human body?

I argued between going down there for Rin, or finding the exit. As I approached the the fireplace, the flame started dying. But once I walked away from it, it grew in size.

A sign. "Exit it is," I gulped.

* * *

**Rin's POV:**

Don't worry, Miku. I knew she was smart enough to understand how the fire worked. As long as she keeps walking to where the fire burns strongest, she's bound to find it soon. Fire is powered by oxygen. And what better place to find oxygen than in the world of the living?

And as for me, I was in a bigger dilemma. Having to be unable to return to my body, I decided to go on like this. Being a spirit enables more freedom in movement, even though everything feels numb and muffled.

But for finding Len? Let's say that Len found ME.

From my third person view, I saw a dark figure approach me. I was afraid that it would be Kaito, but soon realized it was Len.

It was horrifying looking at him like that. His hair was intact, but with spiritual fire burning on top of it. Parts of his body were replaced with the limbs of others, and he had scythe-like claws. The look in his eyes showed death, and blankness. The eye that Kaito had taken out was replaced, but with one of a lizard. His entire body was colourless, except for black ectoplasm.

The size, stature and face of him were the same. Everything was torn off and sewed onto him, in a process that can only be described as painful. He approached my body, looking at it as if it was dinner.

Then his eyes caught the rose. A thorn of had penetrated my eye, as I had fallen on it. I winced, thankful that I couldn't feel the pain of it now.

He sniffed it, like a dog. Then he poked it, cocking his head. He pulled off a petal and tasted it. His behaviour looked like an animal, not like the demonic things I fought in the mirror. With him, I could instantly tell that he was familiar with the rose.

I leaned in next to him. _"Rin."_ I whispered.

He looked around for the voice, looking back to the rose. "Rin?" He said. His voice was the same as I had remembered it, just hoarse.

I nodded. _"Rin."_

He removed the flower, tugging it a bit to get it out of my eye. I was startled as he turned around to look at me.

"You are Rin?" He questioned.

_"You can see me?"_ I neared him, and he just looked at me with expressionless eyes. He nodded.

I found myself smiling, just the tiniest bit. _"Yes, I am Rin."_

Len blankly looked at me. He turned back, ignoring me, to whatever he was doing before. This was actually the cell he was in. Feeling slightly hurt, I tried to enter his heart, to see what was contained in it.

It looked easy in the movies, but it was like trying to fight a tidal wave or tornado. Screams resonated around me, as well as voices. The darkness and disease swarmed around, like swamp water in a blender. I broke through the muck, trying to find him. I didn't know how long I dug, before I almost decided to give up.

_"No!"_ I pushed against the unconquerable, like an ant fighting with the weather. I reached, but didn't know where. Finally, finally, it all cleared.

Like the eye of the hurricane, the expanse was peaceful. I even felt a little breeze as the rest of the madness spun around in the background. And he was there, back turned, facing against it all. This must be his heart.

_"LEN!"_ I flew up to him, as he turned at his name. His expression looked like he had broken out of a spell.

"Rin...?" I tried to embrace him, but he got me first. Around the shoulders.

"What are you doing here?!" His voice was hard and demanding. I looked at him, confused. Shouldn't he be happy to see me?

_"Miku and I came to find you. My body is not with me right now, that was how-"_

"You shouldn't be here! Get out! Get out **NOW**!"

He was frightening when he was angry. But as I tried to move, Len pushed me through the swarm. I fell out of his body, facing the emotionless creature once again. Then the real Len exited the body, looking around. He bit his lip fiercely, as he saw my body on the ground.

"You have to go back! There's a certain amount of time before it's lost forever. Or you'll would be dead, and end up like me!" He lifted my by the shoulders, forcing me back into my body. He didn't seem to see the yellow aura. "Please go back. Please go back..."

_"Len, the field!"_ It hurt, as he pressed my back onto it.

Len's eyes widened, and it disappeared. Instantly, chaos broke loose. Now that the barrier was gone, I was vulnerable. Anything could come in to get me.

"**GET IN!**" He screamed. But for some reason, my body was pushing it BACK out.

But then something else pushed Len, causing him to collide onto me. With one forceful heave, the _both_ of us fell into _my_ body. Thunder broke out, as the protective yellow aura returned.

"The plan..." I heard him say. Pain returned to me, and the feeling of something wet. Consciousness was like a spark in the brain. As I returned, I was greatly aware of Len in me.

"Excellent." Oliver chuckled.

Then the world was engulfed with water. Miku has found an exit.

* * *

**a/n: The Red Eyed girl was a reference to a popular horror story, as you may know Q.Q**

**CS: Miku and Rin enter the Workshop through a Lake. Rin experiences an "out of body" experience, and finds Len after he was reconstructed Then the Len he had used to be tried to get her back into her body, but something wrong happened...then Oliver, Oliver, Oliver, the end.**


End file.
